The King May Fall
by twentythirteen
Summary: Everything is connected to the Soul King, and the Soul King rules over all. However, there are many who would like to see the Soul King's reign end, and Ichigo Kurosaki and the Soul Society must prevent that from happening. Unfortunately, betrayal and conflict plague the Seireitei, and the soul reapers find themselves fighting just to survive.
1. And It Begins

**A/N:** _Hello, and thanks for reading. As said in the summary, this story will be somewhat AU. Though the universe will still be largely the same, some details have been changed and everything from the point Rukia runs away from Ichigo and Kon will be different from the canon. Some similarities will remain, but a lot of the fights and certain major plot points will be altered._

 _There is also no real "main character" in this story, and though there is an OC in this fic, neither he nor Ichigo will be the center of the story. Instead, this story will be told from multiple viewpoints from many different characters, though a couple characters will feature more prominently than others._

 _Anyway, thanks again for reading._

* * *

"Where are you going?"

Rukia stopped abruptly and turned around to see Uryu Ishida. The dark-haired high schooler was still dressed in his school uniform, though he was also carrying a plastic bag in one hand. His eyes gleamed suspiciously behind his glasses.

Rukia tried to brush away her tears and attempted to put on a straight face.

"U-Uryu? What are you doing here?" she asked.

Uryu looked at her as if she were stupid. "What does that have to do with anything? I asked you a question, didn't I?"

Rukia didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him that she was running away from everything, running away from Ichigo, because she knew she was being hunted down by the Soul Society. That would only cause further trouble, and she had caused more than enough of that already,

A streetlight flickered over the largely-deserted road, and a full moon stood in solemn watch over the night sky. A gentle breeze passed through, and Rukia still could not come up with an answer.

Uryu sighed. "Fine, if you really can't -"

"Rukia!"

Both Rukia and Uryu jumped in surprise as they saw Ichigo in his black shinigami uniform bounding towards them. The orange-haired youth was out of breath by the time he sprinted up to them, and he paused for a moment to gather his bearings. He then looked up at Rukia, his eyes resolute.

"Where are you running off to?" he asked her.

By the way Rukia's face fell, Ichigo knew something was wrong. He turned to Uryu.

"Ishida, what's going on here?"

Uryu shrugged. "How should I know? You soul reapers are all insane."

He paused for a bit but then began talking again.

"... But from what I can gather, it appears that Rukia is running away, most likely out of fear of punishment by her superiors. It's logical that the Soul Society wouldn't want one of their agents running around rogue for too long, right?"

Uryu and Ichigo both looked at Rukia, and she stared at the ground.

"... Yes," she finally admitted.

Ichigo frowned. "Then why are you running?! Stay here! I'll help explain everything to them. You didn't do anything wrong!"

Rukia looked up at him, her violet eyes brimming with tears.

"You don't know the Soul Society like I do, Ichigo! They'll never let his go unpunished. Never..." she concluded, her voice softening with sadness.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the sky as a doorway materialized out of nothing. The doors opened, and out of them came three figures, all of them dressed in the black soul reaper uniform.

Rukia's eyes widened in fear. She turned to Ichigo and Uryu.

"They have come, you two have to leave!" she demanded.

Ichigo and Uryu shared a glance before shaking their heads.

"We won't leave you here," Ichigo said, his tone serious.

"You don't understand! You won't be able to defeat them!" Rukia shouted, desperately trying to get them to leave.

Ichigo and Uryu only watched as the three shinigami descended.

The first of them was a petite woman with glasses and light-brown hair. Next to her stood a short young man with dark hair and tan skin. He wore a cocky smile on his face and had a black tattoo above his left eyebrow. The third member was a tall man with long, red hair in the style of a spiky ponytail. He had a band tied around his left arm, presumably to signify his position as leader of the group.

Rukia stared at the red-haired man incredulously.

"Renji?" she asked.

The red-haired man nodded to her. "Rukia. It's been a long time."

"You know this guy, Rukia?" Ichigo questioned.

Renji turned his attention towards Ichigo, clearly unhappy that Ichigo appeared so familiar with Rukia. "Shut the hell up, human. You're about to die here."

Ichigo grit his teeth and unsheathed his sword, and Uryu formed a bow in his hands and aimed it at Renji.

Renji made a move to grab his zanpakutou, but the smaller, blue-haired man stopped him.

"Don't concern yourself with them, Lieutenant. We'll handle them!" he declared.

Renji relaxed his muscles and nodded. "Go ahead, Rikichi. These guys shouldn't be much of a challenge."

Rikichi and the woman soul reaper drew their blades and rushed at Ichigo and Uryu.

"Renji, stop this!" Rukia demanded, but her cry fell on deaf ears.

Rikichi's blade met Ichigo's, and the brunette shinigami barely managed to deflect one of Uryu's arrows as she rushed at the quincy.

However, Ichigo easily overpowered his opponent and cleaved him in two with one swing, and Uryu sped behind the woman with hirenkyaku and decapitated her with an arrow to the neck,

The bodies of the defeated shinigami hit the street, and Renji stared with a mix of horror, surprise, and anger.

Ichigo pointed his now-bloody blade at Renji. "I guess you're next, _lieutenant_ ,"

Renji cursed as he yanked his blade free. He rushed at Ichigo, and the two met with a clang of steel. Renji noticed that the quincy had decided to hang back and provide support from a distance.

Ichigo attempted to bisect Renji with a lateral cut to his midsection, but the red-haired lieutenant easily flash-stepped out of the way and caught Ichigo in the left shoulder with a savage slash.

Ichigo stifled a cry of pain as he swung blindly at Renji, but his blade met nothing but air. Renji then appeared in front of Ichigo and thrust his blade towards Ichigo's abdomen, but the lieutenant's zanpakutou was deflected by an arrow.

Renji scowled in annoyance as he kicked Ichigo away and whirled around to face Uryu.

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

Ichigo watched in horror as Renji's zanpakutou acquired a serrated shape and extended outwards, slamming into Uryu and cutting him up pretty badly.

"You bastard!" Ichigo rushed at Renji with his zanpakutou raised.

Renji lifted his own blade to block Ichigo's downward-moving strike, but the impact was so strong that it sent him to his knees. Before Renji could get back up, Ichigo had already swung again, this time at Renji's neck.

The Sixth Division lieutenant managed to flash-step away, but when he landed he felt a stinging sensation in his neck. He raised his hand to the spot and found that he was bleeding. It wasn't a deep wound, but Renji was amazed at the fact that someone like this 'Ichigo' could even manage to cut him.

Renji's eyes hardened as he thought about what his captain would say if he were here.

Ichigo ran towards Renji, his zanpakutou once again raised to strike. However, before Ichigo could bring down his sword, he felt a searing pain course through his body.

As Ichigo fell to the ground, he could faintly hear Rukia screaming in the background. Warm blood poured out of his stomach, and his vision began fading to black.

Rukia rushed over to Ichigo, but her path was blocked by Renji's stained blade.

"Stop, Rukia."

Rukia glared at Renji, her beautiful eyes filled with pain and anger.

"Why are you doing this!" she demanded.

Renji sighed. "You know why. You illegally transferred your soul reaper powers to him, and now he's gone and killed two of my squad members."

Rukia looked away, not wanting to see Renji's face nor Ichigo's mangled body.

"It's time to go back, Rukia," Renji said.

"Fuck you, Renji!" Rukia yelled in an uncharacteristic outburst.

Renji was taken aback by the sudden burst of anger, but he quickly recovered.

"I didn't want to have to do this…"

With a swift strike, Renji knocked Rukia out cold. He picked up her small, unconscious body and hauled it over his shoulder, opening a senkaimon in the process. As he headed towards the gate, he glanced back at his fallen comrades.

 _Rikichi… Mihane… Thank you for your sacrifice._

He then looked at Ichigo and felt hatred course through his veins. Even so, he could not squash the niggling of respect he felt in the back of his mind. The human had fought for someone he cared for, despite the fact that he was outnumbered and outmatched. He had also managed to scratch Renji Abarai, a lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

 _Ichigo… Even if you die here, I will remember your name._

* * *

The sound of battle cries, screams of pain, and fury-soaked yells echoed around him as Harukaze made his way through the sand and towards the dilapidated tower that jutted out from the desert sand.

He and his squad had finally made it to the building given the codename 'Grey Tower,' also known as the command post for the hollows in the Western Sector. After years of fighting, this was the closest any squad in the Soul Society's Expeditionary Force had ever got to the Grey Tower.

A strong spiritual pressure emanated from within the tower, and Haru narrowed his gray eyes as the wind picked up and blew sand into his face.

He wore the standard black shihakusho of the shinigami, and he had long, messy black hair. Covering his hands were the fingerless white tekko that denoted nobility, and bound to his left arm was the worn-out insignia of the Eight Division. He stood about six feet tall, and his face was slender and elegant.

As he got closer to the tower, a four-legged hollow rushed at him. Haru slipped his zanpakutou out of its sheath and cleaved the beast's head off, its dark blood staining the sands. He stepped over the headless corpse and continued onward.

Soon enough, he had reached the entrance to the tower.

The inside of the tower was relatively dark and empty, but the strong spiritual pressure undoubtedly belonging to a hollow remained. Harukaze had decided that it would be best for him to defeat the commander of the hollows in this sector so that the battle could be won easier, so he headed straight for the Grey Tower once the fighting started. However, now that he was finally inside, he couldn't find anyone.

"Looking for me?" a suave, pompous voice inquired.

Harukaze whirled around and saw a tall, slender figure approach from the shadows. The hollow had pink hair, golden eyes, and a mocking smile on his face. He was dressed in white, and a sword rested at his side.

"So you're a Vasto Lorde, I presume?" Haru asked as he moved his hand towards his sword.

The hollow's smile grew wider. "No, not exactly."

Haru's eyes narrowed. He had never seen a hollow that appeared to be so human-like, and he had definitely never felt one this powerful before.

"I'm an arrancar," the pink-haired hollow continued. "As I am sure you are wondering, an arrancar is a hollow that has removed its mask. It now possesses both the power of a hollow as well as the powers of a soul reaper."

Haru regarded the hollow skeptically. "I've never heard of such a thing before."

The hollow laughed. "Of course not. Someone with your level of intellect could never hope to have discovered the existence of arrancars on your own."

"Is that so? How is it that you are so familiar with my 'intellect'?"

"Is that a joke? I know all about you, Harukaze Kuchiki," the hollow replied.

"Was that supposed to impress me? It's no surprise that you know my name, considering how many hollows have come to fear it over the past couple years," Haru taunted.

The pink-haired arrancar smiled again. "I know much more than just your name. I know you are the former lieutenant of the Eight Division, and I know that you are the younger cousin of Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the Sixth Division and head of the Kuchiki noble house."

"That's not exactly top-secret information," Haru countered. "Now, tell me more about you arrancars."

The arrancar laughed once more. "Curious, are you? Unfortunately, I think that I have told you enough. It's about time that I took my leave."

Haru pulled out his zanpakutou, but the hollow had disappeared in a particularly well-executed sonido. Soon enough, the pink-haired arrancar's spiritual pressure was completely gone.

 _Damn it,_ Haru thought as he turned back towards the entrance of the tower. _Might as well go out there and help finish the battle, I suppose._

However, when he exited the tower and entered back into the light, he saw the desert sands littered with the broken corpses of the hollows. Most of his squad was still alive, though many of them were injured. Even so, they had defeated the enemy and taken control of Grey Tower, a feat that no Expeditionary squad had accomplished since this hundred-year war with the hollows in the Western Sector had started.

Harukaze sheathed his sword and watched as the surviving shinigami began tending to the wounded and setting up a basic camp. Reinforcements and supplies would be arriving soon as well.

Spiritual pressure suddenly flared up behind him, and Haru turned around to see a messenger kneeling in the sand.

"Urgent message for you, Squad Leader Kuchiki," the messenger said as he handed Haru a rolled up scroll.

Harukaze nodded in thanks as he unfurled the document and the messenger flash-stepped away. Haru's eyes widened as he read the contents.

"What you got there, Kuchiki?" a gruff voice asked.

Haru looked up from the letter to see a tall, burly shinigami with a long, brown beard looking down at him.

"That was fast," Haru remarked as he looked back over to the main site of the battlefield and saw reinforcements pouring in.

The man shrugged. "Well, you guys were pretty quick yourselves. We didn't expect the battle to be over by the time we got here. Some of my men are pretty disappointed, you know."

Haru shrugged. "That's what you get for filling your squad with Eleventh Division members, Hagoro."

"Hey, are you bad-mouthing the Eleventh Division? You're well aware I used to be the fourth seat," Squad Leader Hagoro retorted.

"Take a look at this," Haru said as he handed the letter over to Hagoro.

Hagoro squinted as he read the letter, then let out a low whistle. "Wow, they're calling you back already? _And_ they're planning on making you a captain? Damn, that Kuchiki influence does get you far."

Haru snatched the letter back. "I don't like what you're implying. It's my skill that's led me to this point, not my name. I am one of the only members of the Expeditionary Force capable of performing bankai."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm aware of that. It's not like you remind us all of that fact every two seconds," Hagoro complained as he rolled his shoulders. "Anyway, how are you becoming a captain if there are no available spots open?"

"I don't know. Maybe they're sending someone up to Zero Division, or maybe the Captain Commander has finally decided to retire. The Seireitei has been peaceful as of late."

Hagoro snorted. "Yeah, they get to live in peace while we're out here fighting a pointless, never-ending war."

"Stop complaining," Haru told him. "You've only got a year left of your time here, and our victory today proves that this fight isn't pointless."

Hagoro yawned. "Yeaaah, whatever. Have fun at home, Kuchiki."

The big squad leader then walked off to supervise his men, leaving Harukaze alone with the letter.

He allowed himself a small smile as he looked once more at the message.

 _It's been five years since I've been home… I wonder how everyone is doing…_

He thought of Captain Kyoraku, Byakuya, and, of course, Rukia.

The wind picked up again, and his black hair danced in the desert breeze. He looked out towards the horizon, over the sand dunes and into the vast, blue sky.

 _Finally._

* * *

Ichigo awoke and found himself lying in bed. He managed to sit up, but the screaming pain in his abdomen protested the whole time. He grit his teeth and turned his head to find Ishida in another bed next to his. The quincy was busy reading a book but took a second to glance over at Ichigo.

"So you're awake," Uryu simply said.

"Yeah…" Ichigo stared at the walls and found that he recognized the place.

 _Kisuke Urahara's shop._

As if on cue, Urahara walked into the room at that exact moment. The shopkeeper smiled at Ichigo as he entered and leaned against the wall opposite to the beds.

"Glad to see you're awake, Ichigo," Urahara said.

Ichigo rubbed his head as the memories of his previous fight came flooding back. Despite the fact that he had been utterly destroyed by that red-haired soul reaper, Ichigo couldn't get his mind off the fact that he had failed to stop Rukia from being taken.

"You alright there?"

Ichigo's head snapped up at the familiar voice.

"Dad?" Ichigo asked in surprise as his father entered the room.

 _Shit. How am I going to explain this now._

"Don't worry about explanations," Isshin said as if he had read Ichigo's mind. "Kisuke told me everything."

Ichigo stared incredulously at Urahara. _He must have come up with a damn good excuse._

Isshin started speaking again. "Ichigo, if you're thinking about going to the Soul Society, don't. It isn't worth it."

Ichigo's eyes grew wide. "Y-you know about the Soul Society?"

Isshin smiled wistfully. "Do I know about it? I lived there, actually."

Before Ichigo could even fully understand what his father just said, Urahara interrupted.

"Ichigo, don't you think it's a bit strange that you have such natural talent at being a soul reaper?"

Ichigo stared at his father. "S-so you were a soul reaper too?"

Isshin nodded. "Captain of the Tenth Division, actually. Needless to say, I no longer have my powers, but the point still stands. You cannot go to the Soul Society to save your friend."

"Speaking of Rukia, do we actually know what her punishment will be?" Uryu interrupted, seemingly unfazed by the events unfolding in front of him. Ichigo assumed that Uryu must have heard all this already while Ichigo was still sound asleep.

"My sources tell me she will be executed," Urahara answered.

Isshin glared at him. "Thanks for being so helpful, Kisuke."

Urahara raised his hands defensively. "What, you want me to lie to them?"

"Of course not," a new, deeper voice said. A man with white hair and a striking resemblance to Uryu entered the room. "They should be given all the information and then be allowed to make their own decisions."

"Are you insane, Ryuken?" Isshin said. "If they go to the Soul Society, they'll die."

Ryuken Ishida's expression remained stoic. "Then they die."

"No one here is dying," Ichigo broke in. "Not me, not Ishida, and especially not Rukia. We're going to the Soul Society to rescue her."

Everyone turned to look at Ichigo, but his eyes remained resolute. Rukia had saved his life and his family's lives, and he could never repay that debt. She knew what the consequences would be if she helped him, yet she did it anyway. Now it was simply Ichigo's turn.

Isshin looked into his son's eyes before sighing. "You're not going to back down on this, are you?"

"Never," came Ichigo's curt reply.

Isshin smirked. "I knew from the very beginning that I wouldn't be able to convince you. However, don't expect that this will be easy."

Urahara nodded in agreement. "You two will need training, and lots of it. Your father as well as myself were both captains in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads at one point, so we know how powerful they are."

"I agree," Uryu said, "but I would imagine that this type of training is going to be very intense, and we don't have the time to wait for our bodies to heal before we begin."

"I thought you might say that," Urahara replied. "Orihime! Come in here please!"

Ichigo and Uryu watched with surprised expressions as their classmate Orihime Inoue entered the room. She waved nervously at the two of them.

"Uryu, Ichigo! Good to see you," she greeted.

"O-orihime?" Ichigo stuttered.

"Both Orihime Inoue and Sado Yasutora have been training with me for the past couple weeks after Uryu caused that massive hollow attack," Urahara supplied. "I guess they didn't tell you guys."

Orihime walked over to Uryu. The blue pin on her shirt began to glow, and soon enough an orange force field appeared around the quincy. Even Uryu looked stunned at the sight.

"You're healing his wounds?" Ichigo asked, his expression one of awe.

Orihime nodded. "Don't worry, Ichigo. I'll heal yours next."

"Both Chad and Orihime possess innate spiritual abilities," Urahara explained. "Both of their powers work differently, but they are both formidable if used in the right situations."

"Powers? What do you mean?" Uryu asked.

"It's called 'Fullbring.' The short version is that these select few individuals are capable of drawing out the spiritual power of certain objects that they are very attached to," Urahara said.

"Chad and Orihime have both been training hard," Isshin began. "You and Uryu will need to do the same, Ichigo."

Ichigo clenched his fist. _Rukia._

He remembered the first time he met her. He remembered when she was willing to listen to him talk about his mother. He remembered when Lieutenant Renji had come to take her away. Most of all, he remembered her eyes when she saw him fall.

Ichigo grit his teeth. _I'll never let that happen again. Never._


	2. Ichigo the Invader

Ichigo marveled at the new form his blade had taken. The zanpakutou now appeared a sort of black color, though the sword's edge still remained a glistening white. The shape had also changed slightly, now resembling an oversized butcher's knife.

"Did it tell you its name?" Urahara asked as he walked over to Ichigo.

For the past few days, Ichigo had been training in Urahara's underground facility in order to prepare himself for his eventual invasion into the Soul Society. Orihime and Chad were also there, though they trained with the strange but beautiful werecat named Yoruichi Shihoin, a friend of Kisuke's. Uryu, on the other hand, had gone somewhere to train with his father, Ryuken.

After some basic endurance and combat training, Ichigo was given the task of learning his zanpakuto's name. It was a long and convoluted process, but he had eventually managed to defeat his zanpakuto's spirit inside his mind and learn its name.

"Zangetsu," Ichigo answered, his eyes still fixated on the sword.

"Zangetsu, huh?" Urahara remarked as he looked over the new blade. "Your father's was Engetsu."

Ichigo got up from his cross-legged position and stood to his full height. He stretched a bit and took some practice swings with the newly-formed Zangetsu.

 _I can already tell something is different. Spirit energy is flowing through my zanpakuto, as if it were a part of my body,_ Ichigo thought as he gripped Zangetsu.

"Now the real training can begin," Urahara said as he held up his cane.

Ichigo watched in surprise as the wood of the cane slid off to reveal a zanpakuto.

Urahara laughed. "What, I told you I used to be a captain, didn't I? You think I just left my zanpakuto at the Soul Society when I was banished?"

"I'm just shocked that you disguised it as a cane," Ichigo replied. "Hey, now that you mention it, why were you banished from the Soul Society anyway?"

Urahara's face darkened. "... You sure you want to know?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, you'd find out eventually," Urahara said with a sigh. "I was banished because I experimented on my fellow soul reapers."

"Experimented?"

"Yeah. I tried turning them into hollows," Urahara said, his voice tinged with regret and sadness.

That took Ichigo aback. "What? Why would you do that?"

Urahara looked as if he were about to be sick. "I… I don't know. The whole incident is kind of hazy. I guess there comes a point when the desire to make a new discovery or confirm a suspicion takes over your whole life, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to finish your research."

Ichigo felt a bit of pity for the man. "So… Did they die? The soul reapers you experimented on, I mean."

"No. Once the Soul Society found out about my experiments, they wanted to terminate the test subjects. Since I was already being banished, I helped them escape."

"Oh," Ichigo said simply. He didn't quite know how to react to all of this.

"...So, you still okay with me training you?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I guess. My dad trusts you and you're willing to help me, so you can't be that bad of a guy."

Urahara smiled, though this time it was more sweet than bitter. "Glad to hear it. Let's get on with the training, then."

Ichigo nodded and got into a ready stance, his feet planted and his sword pointed outwards.

Urahara pointed his zanpakuto at Ichigo, and his blade began to glow a faint red.

"Get ready to dodge, Ichigo."

* * *

Harukaze stepped into the large room in which the captains' meetings took place. The floor was covered in turquoise tiling, and expensive-looking chandeliers dangled from the ceiling. At the head of the room stood the captain commander, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

"Ah, you've come," Yamamoto stated as Haru approached.

Haru dipped his head in respect. "Captain Commander."

"Let us begin, then. As you know, you have been promoted to the rank of captain. However, what we did not share with you in that message is that a vacancy in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads has occurred due to the death of Sosuke Aizen, captain of the Fifth Division."

Surprise flashed across Haru's eyes. "... Captain Aizen is dead?"

"Yes," Yamamoto confirmed. "He was found in his home by his lieutenant. Someone appeared to have broken in and assassinated him."

 _Who could assassinate a captain?_ "So I will be replacing Captain Aizen, then?"

"You will. I have received recommendations from both your superiors at the Expeditionary Force as well as from Captains Kyoraku, Ichimaru, and Kuchiki. They all agree that you are the most qualified to fill this position," Yamamoto concluded.

 _That makes sense_ , Haru thought. Shunsui Kyoraku was his former captain, Byakuya Kuchiki was his cousin, and Gin Ichimaru was a long-time friend from the Academy.

"There is also another matter I wish to tell you about," the Captain Commander continued. "We have received information from our spies in the World of the Living that an invasion force composed of three humans, a quincy, and two former captains has been formed."

"An invasion force?" Harukaze echoed. "They are planning on invading the Soul Society?"

Yamamoto nodded. "They have decided to rescue a certain soul reaper who has been condemned to death, and therefore they are preparing to invade the Seireitei. The laws of the Soul Society strictly prohibit us from tampering with the lives of humans where hollows are not concerned, so all we can do is prepare and wait for them to come to us."

"I am confused. Why are they risking their lives for a soul reaper?" Haru asked.

Yamamoto paused for a bit. "... This soul reaper illegally transferred her powers to one of the humans, saving his life in the process. For that reason, this human has decided to repay the debt."

 _That's stupid,_ Haru thought. _Why do something as illegal as that just to save the life of one human?_

"That soul reaper is Rukia Kuchiki," Yamamoto suddenly said.

It took a second for Harukaze to comprehend the captain commander's words.

"... Rukia did that?"

Yamamoto turned and began walking away. "Speak with Byakuya if you wish. I have no more to say on this matter."

Haru stood there, too stunned to move.

 _Rukia is going to be executed?_

* * *

 _~ 10 Years Ago ~_

 _Rukia clumsily tried to avoid the strike, but the wooden practice sword managed to catch her on the hip anyway. She winced in pain as she executed a counter thrust, but her small, young opponent sidestepped and retaliated with a thrust of his own that hit her in the gut. She fell to her knees and gasped for air._

" _Enough!" the voice of Ginrei Kuchiki, the previous head of the clan, called out. "This match is over. Daisuke is the victor."_

 _Rukia's opponent, a small boy half her age, nodded politely to the clan head as he returned to his seat._

 _Today was the biannual Kuchiki clan training competition, in which all shinigami (or shinigami-in-training) members of the clan gathered together to show off their skills in a tournament-style series of practice matches._

 _The large, ornate room was filled with clan members, and the ones not currently fighting were seated in a perimeter around the center of the room. The middle of the room was where the matches took place, and it was set up so that all the clan members could watch and judge the skills of each combatant._

 _Ginrei Kuchiki had retired from his position as head of the Kuchiki Clan, but he still presided over familial events such as the tournament. Byakuya Kuchiki, the current clan head, was seated next to his grandfather along with a few other important figures in the clan._

 _Harukaze Kuchiki was seated on the floor with the rest of the rank-and-file clan members._

" _This is disgusting," he whispered to one of his cousins seated next him. "I don't know why this rat from the bowels of the Rukongai even thinks she can defeat one of us."_

 _The cousin snickered at Haru's comments, and the two of them watched as Rukia lamely made her way back to her seat. The next battle was then announced, and two more Kuchiki clan members approached the center of the room._

 _The matches continued on for a few more hours, with the finale of the tournament once again culminating with Harukaze versus Byakuya, and Byakuya once again winning another effortless victory._

 _After the final match had ended, clan members began exiting the room while Haru rubbed at his shoulder where Byakuya's wooden sword had struck him particularly hard._

 _As the room slowly emptied, Byakuya turned to Haru._

" _Your performance today was disappointing."_

 _Haru turned and spit some blood onto the wooden flooring. "I made it to the final round."_

 _Byakuya's face remained emotionless. "Do you consider that impressive?"_

 _Haru shrugged and began walking away, but Byakuya grabbed his shoulder._

" _I am the one who trained you, and it will reflect badly upon me if you are seen as weak," Byakuya told him. "You understand that, correct?"_

" _How am I weak? Because I lost to you? You're a captain!" Haru argued._

" _That's no excuse," Byakuya countered. "If you want to be a captain one day as well, then you must learn to fight like one. Understand?"_

 _Haru nodded reluctantly and tried walking away again, but Byakuya stopped him once more._

" _Wait."_

 _The Clan Head turned his gaze towards Rukia, who was shuffling out of the room with a depressed expression on her face._

" _What about her?" Harukaze asked._

 _He, along with everyone else in the clan, did not like Rukia, and he especially did not like the fact that Byakuya had adopted her as his sister. In his mind, low-born beggars didn't have any place in a noble house._

" _I want you to train her," Byakuya said._

" _... What? Hell no! Why do I have to do it?"_

 _Byakuya gave him a withering look. "Because I said so."_

" _But -"_

 _Byakuya raised a hand to silence him, then turned around and walked away._

" _You start tomorrow."_

* * *

Harukaze found Byakuya sitting at his desk in the Sixth Division office. Byakuya took a second to glance up from his paperwork and regard his cousin with cool, gray eyes.

"You're back," Byakuya stated.

"And I'm a captain now," Haru said, gesturing to his new white haori. "But you already knew that."

Byakuya's face did not change. "I suppose you're here because of that other matter."

Haru scowled. "'That other matter'? Is that what you're calling it?"

Byakuya's gray eyes were hard. "Rukia broke the rules of the Soul Society, and now she is paying for it. There is nothing more to be said."

"What? Have you lost your mind? We can't just let her die!" Haru protested.

"Lower your voice," Byakuya commanded. "Rules exist for a reason, and we captains are the ones who must enforce them. Rukia will pay for her actions, regardless of what you think should happen."

Haru grit his teeth. "Where is she."

Byakuya gave him a calculating look before answering.

"The Senzaikyu on Sokyoku Hill."

Haru turned around and angrily strode out of the room. _How can this be happening?_

His speed increased as he walked, and soon he found himself flash-stepping towards the Senzaikyu. It had been four years since he had last been in the Seireitei, but he still knew the layout like the back of his hand.

Soon enough, he had reached the bridge which connected the hill to the Senzaikyu. The tall, white palace jutted into the clouds, and the entrance was guarded by two shinigami. As Harukaze approached, the pair reached for their weapons.

"No one is allowed past this point… Sir," one of the soul reapers said.

Harukaze let his reiatsu flare, and the shinigami guarding the entrance fell to the ground. He stepped past them and entered into the dark interior of the palace.

Gray eyes met violet ones as Haru saw Rukia seated by the window at the far end of the room.

Rukia stood up slowly, her eyes widening in surprise.

"H-haru?"

He walked over to her. "Rukia."

She leapt into his arms, and Harukaze was filled with a happiness he hadn't experienced in a long time. Her raven locks brushed against his neck, and her embrace was like a breath of fresh air.

"I missed you," Rukia finally said.

"I missed you too."

In all his years away from home, there was no one Haru wanted to see more than his adopted cousin Rukia.

He slowly pulled away from her. "So… Just what the hell is going on here?"

Rukia looked at the ground. "... I'm going to be executed."

Haru gripped her shoulders tightly. "Rukia, how could you do something so stupid? You know that the transfer of powers from a soul reaper to a human is highly illegal."

Tears brimmed in Rukia's eyes. "I know."

Haru softened his grip and pulled her close again.

"Rukia… I won't let you die. I promise."

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki gripped his sword as he watched the senkaimon open. A bright light shone as the doors slid apart.

"Okay, everyone ready?" Urahara asked as he opened a box filled with artificial Hell Butterflies he had created.

Ichigo nodded and glanced over the small invasion force they had assembled.

Uryu Ishida stood behind him, dressed in a white uniform that looked strikingly similar to the one the Nazis used to wear. Ichigo had brought this up, but Uryu insisted that it was just traditional quincy garb.

Next to Uryu stood Chad and Orihime, and next to them was the purple-haired Yoruichi Shihoin. Yoruichi and Urahara both possessed intricate knowledge of the Soul Society and the Seireitei, so Ichigo was glad that they were tagging along.

"Alright," Urahara said. "If there are no complaints, then we can begin our journey."

The shinigami shopkeeper stepped into the portal, and Ichigo and his friends followed closely behind.

The group entered into a dark, somewhat-narrow corridor. At the end of the corridor was what appeared to be another senkaimon.

"This is the Dangai, or the Precipice World," Urahara supplied as the group walked. "It connects the World of the Living to the Soul Society."

They continued onwards through the Dangai until they stepped through the portal at the far end. When they emerged from the light, they were greeted with the sight of the blue skies of the Soul Society.

"It looks like Feudal Japan," Uryu remarked as he took in their surroundings and looked over at the golden rooftops within the Seireitei.

"The head architect that built the Soul Society and the Seireitei was actually banished to the World of the Living after he impregnated a captain's daughter," Urahara informed them. "That took place shortly before the Edo Period in Japan."

Yoruichi stepped forward. "Enough of your trivia, Kisuke. We're short on time, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed. "Let's get moving."

Urahara nodded, then pointed off into the distance towards the walls surrounding the Seireitei.

"We're going to need to get past those first."

"Should we pay our Shiba friends a visit?" Yoruichi asked.

Urahara shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Let's go."

The group made their way through the poor, rough-looking part of the Soul Society they had landed in and walked towards the walls. They drew many looks from the inhabitants, but neither Urahara nor Yoruichi seemed to mind, so Ichigo ignored them as well.

Once they walked up to the walls, Urahara held up a hand and turned to Chad.

"Your help would be much appreciated, Chad."

Chad nodded, then closed his eyes in concentration. With a burst of green energy, his left arm became encased in a white and red shell. He walked up to the wall, let out a yell, and then punched it with all his strength.

A huge crack appeared in the wall, and though the structure did not fall, it had definitely been weakened.

"I guess it wasn't enough," Chad said as he turned to Urahara.

Urahara laughed. "No, it was more than enough. These walls absorb spirit energy, so for you to do that much damage with one punch was impressive."

He then pulled out his zanpakutou from its cane-like sheath.

"Awaken, Benihime."

A red laser shot out from the tip of the sword and pierced the already-cracked wall, bringing the structure down.

As the wall crumbled in front of him, Urahara smirked and adjusted his hat. "Welcome to the Seireitei, guys."

* * *

A loud blare suddenly sounded, and a voice called out over the announcement system.

"ALL CAPTAINS REPORT TO THE FIRST DIVISION. INTRUDERS SPOTTED IN THE SEIREITEI."

Harukaze watched as a flash of recognition passed through Rukia's violet eyes.

 _So this must be the invasion force the captain commander mentioned._

"I guess I should go," Haru told her. "I'll be back."

Rukia nodded sadly, and Haru turned around and flash-stepped out of Sokyoku Hill. Though he wanted to take Rukia with him, he knew that the two of them would never make it out of the Seireitei alive if he left right now. He needed to come up with a plan first.

After a few minutes, Haru finally made it back to the hall where he had met with Yamamoto earlier. This time, however, he was not alone.

Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake were the only two who had arrived before him, and they smiled when they saw him.

"Well, you made it," Kyoraku said as he tipped his hat in greeting.

"Good to see you again, Haru," Ukitake said with a smile.

Haru nodded to them. "Captain Kyoraku, Captain Ukitake."

"How does it fit?" Shunsui asked, gesturing to Haru's new cloak.

"Perfect," the newly-made captain replied. He then looked at Ukitake. "I'd like to speak with you afterwards if it's alright, Captain Ukitake."

Ukitake nodded, his expression serious. "Of course. I was thinking the same thing."

The doors to the hall slammed open.

"Why the hell are we even here!" Kenpachi Zaraki shouted as he entered. "We should be out there fighting the intruders, not cowering in here like a bunch of pussies!"

"I'm sure we will be doing just that, Captain Zaraki," the soothing voice of Retsu Unohana assured him as she also entered the room. "But we need to receive our orders first."

"Fuck orders." Zaraki replied. He then noticed Haru. "Who the hell are you?"

"You don't remember Haru, Zaraki?" Shunsui said. "He used to be my lieutenant."

Zaraki took another glance at Haru. "... I don't know. You probably weren't anything special if I don't remember you, no offense."

Harukaze frowned. Zaraki may not remember him, but he definitely remembered Zaraki.

"None taken," he said simply.

Soon enough, the rest of the captains began to file in, a few of them giving Haru strange looks. The Captain Commander then arrived, and the captains formed two orderly lines. Haru guessed the Fifth Division Captain should stand between Four and Six, so he quickly stepped in between his cousin and Captain Unohana.

Yamamoto cleared his throat before beginning. "As you all have heard, intruders have entered the Seireitei. The captains' meeting a few days ago informed you all of this eventuality, so none of you should be surprised."

"Exactly! So what's the point of this meeting?" Zaraki questioned.

"Quiet, Zaraki," Yamamoto ordered before continuing. "I would also like to introduce Captain Harukaze Kuchiki, the new captain of the Fifth Division. He will be taking over Sosuke Aizen's role."

Haru was suddenly aware of everyone's eyes on him. Most of the captains seemed to remember him, and Gin Ichimaru gave him one of his strange, signature smiles.

"Now that we are all acquainted with each other, I would like to remind you all of your duty to the Soul Society," Yamamoto said. "These invaders have come to rescue Rukia Kuchiki, a criminal set to be executed. Your job is to uphold the rules of the Soul Society, regardless of your personal feelings."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Our intelligence shows that most of these invaders are humans who possess some degree of power, though not nearly enough to concern us. However, the real problem lies in the presence of Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin, two former captains. Exercise extreme caution around them."

"Are we to kill or capture them?" Soifon asked, her voice strained with anger.

"Capture them if possible," Yamamoto replied. "Their presence may be connected with Sosuke Aizen's murder, and we would like to interrogate them. However, if it proves too troublesome, you are free to kill them."

That elicited a cheer from Zaraki.

"That concludes our business," Yamamoto finished. "You may go."

Though the majority of the captains immediately rushed out of the room, Haru remained behind to speak with Captain Ukitake. However, before he could make his way over to the Thirteenth Division Captain, he was intercepted by Gin Ichimaru.

"Not even going to say 'hello'?" Gin asked in his characteristic slithery tone.

"Sorry, I haven't had the time," Haru replied. Even now he was itching to talk to Ukitake.

Gin's smile didn't fade. "I guess you have. It's your cousin that's going to be executed, right?"

Haru looked at Gin, but couldn't read the thoughts hidden behind those narrow eyes and strange smile.

"Meet me at the Fifth Division office when you're done here," Gin said before flash-stepping away.

Now that there were no more distractions, Harukaze headed over to Ukitake, who was standing with Captain Kyoraku.

"I've already tried talking with Master Genryusai, but he won't hear my complaints," Ukitake started. "It seems he intends to make an example out of Rukia."

"Then what do we do?" Haru asked.

"We'll have to use other means," Shunsui said. "Our best course of action is to wait till the day of the execution and then whisk her away."

Haru cringed at the thought. He didn't mind fighting for Rukia, but he had hoped to solve this in a less bloody manner.

"What about the invaders?" Haru said.

Ukitake looked thoughtful. "... Truthfully, I don't know what their goals are. Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin are known criminals, and the humans are wildcards. We can't trust them."

"I suppose you're right," Haru replied as he tried to think of an alternative plan.

"This whole spectacle doesn't make sense," Ukitake said as he shook his head sadly. "There have been a few other cases of an illegal transfer of soul reaper powers in the past, yet none of them resulted in the execution of the offender. Something isn't right."

Shunsui stroked his close-cropped beard. "It's as if someone from above is pushing for the execution… Central 46, maybe?"

"We could try directly communicating with them," Ukitake said. He then turned back to Haru. "Shunsui and I will see if Central 46 will hear us out. In the meantime, try and think of a backup plan, alright?"

Haru nodded. _I won't let Rukia die, even if it kills me._

* * *

"We haven't encountered much resistance so far, have we?" Uryu remarked as the group continued onwards through the Seireitei.

Urahara nodded. "Yeah, we've only fought the lower ranks so far. It's only a matter of time before we run into a captain or a lieutenant, though."

Ichigo grit his teeth as he remembered Renji. If that one lieutenant had managed to defeat him so easily, he wondered how powerful a captain would be. Still, a small part of him was excited at the prospect of such a challenge.

The group then rounded a corner and came face to face with a large shinigami. The soul reaper wore a big golden helmet, but the thing Ichigo paid the most attention to was the white haori the shinigami wore.

 _A captain._

Urahara stepped out in front of the group and smiled.

"Is that you, Captain Komamura?"

"Kisuke Urahara," a deep voice replied from within the helm. The captain reached for his sword and pulled it free of its sheath. "Your expedition ends here."

Urahara smirked as he readied his own zanpakuto. "Awaken, Benihime."

A red beam shot towards the other captain's head, but the large shinigami managed to flash-step away.

However, when the captain landed, a crack formed in his helmet. The helmet then split apart, revealing what appeared to be the head of a brown-furred, wolf-like creature.

"Still as hairy as ever, I see," Urahara joked. He then turned to the rest of the group. "You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

"Wait -" Ichigo began to protest, but he was yanked away by Yoruichi.

"Kisuke can handle himself," Yoruichi told him. "We've got to get moving."

The group continued on, stopping only when they reached an intersection. Multiple paths all diverged outwards from the intersection.

Ichigo turned to Yoruichi. "Which way do we go?"

Yoruichi shrugged. "Sorry, I can't remember. It's been a hundred years since I last stepped foot in the Soul Society, so my memory is a bit hazy."

"We'll have to split up," Chad said, voicing what everyone was thinking.

Yoruichi nodded. "Chad, you and Orihime should take the path on the left. Uryu, you go up the middle. Ichigo and I will take the right-most one. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded, and the group split into three different offshoots.

Ichigo watched as Uryu, Chad, and Orihime left.

"Alright, let's get goi -"

Ichigo's sentence was interrupted when Yoruichi tackled him to the ground.

The orange-haired soul reaper angrily got to his feet and glared at Yoruichi.

"What the hell was that f -"

He stopped speaking when he saw the throwing knife stuck in Yoruichi's back. The purple-haired werecat winced as she got up and pulled the knife out.

"Your reactions have gotten slower, _Lady Yoruichi_ ," sneered a voice from one of the rooftops.

Ichigo looked over to see another soul reaper captain smirking at the duo. He reached for Zangetsu but was stopped by Yoruichi.

"Keep going, Ichigo. I'll catch up in a few minutes," she assured him.

Ichigo spared a glance at the enemy captain, but her eyes were fixated on Yoruichi. He took that moment to run onwards.

As Ichigo sprinted away from the scene, he continued help but think about how he was now alone and surrounded by enemies.

 _No,_ he said to himself. _I was trained for this situation._

Just as he finished his thought, a bald soul reaper flash-stepped in front of him. The shinigami smiled as he drew his sword and pointed it Ichigo.

"So you're one of the invaders, huh?"

Ichigo pulled Zangetsu off his back and watched as the wrappings fell away to reveal a shining black blade. He grinned in anticipation of the fight.

"Yeah, I am."


	3. Captains' Clash: Old vs New

**A/N:** _I originally wasn't going to post this today, but I figured I might as well in honor of Bleach's end._

* * *

Komamura growled as he looked at Urahara's smiling face. The two were currently in a small courtyard within the Seireitei, and a pair of large white towers stood watch at opposite ends of the yard. The courtyard itself, however, was largely empty.

"What's wrong?" Urahara asked as smoke drifted from the tip of his zanpakuto. "Not going to attack me?"

Komamura roared and flash-stepped towards Urahara, his blade clashing with the former captain's.

Urahara grunted as he tried to hold off the larger shinigami, but he flash-stepped away before Komamura could overpower him.

 _Close combat clearly isn't going to work,_ Urahara thought glumly.

"So, you're running away now?" Komamura said. "You are fool if you think I am going to allow you to fight me at a long distance."

Urahara adjusted his hat and smiled. "Is that so?"

"Roar, Tenken!" Komamura called out as he swung his sword downwards.

Urahara's eyes widened as a huge, phantom arm came swinging at him, mimicking the motion of its wielder. Kisuke barely flash-stepped away and avoided being cut in two.

 _Yes, his zanpakuto is going to be a problem._

Urahara pointed his sword at Komamura and let loose another red laser. Komamura flash-stepped away, but from the way he cringed it appeared that Benihime had managed to graze the captain's shoulder.

Komamura growled in frustration. _My range may increase with shikai, but I am still vulnerable to his attacks._

"I will give you one last chance to surrender, Kisuke Urahara," Komamura declared. "If you don't, I will be forced to kill you."

Urahara smirked. "Sorry. I can't do that."

Komamura frowned. "So be it... Bankai!"

Urahara watched as a giant samurai-like creature materialized into existence behind Komamura. The large, manifested zanpakuto reached out and swung its blade in a lateral motion, though it was not aiming for Kisuke.

The huge sword sailed hundreds of feet above Urahara's head and smashed into one of the towers at the edge of the courtyard. With a resounding crash, the tall structure was effectively cut in two, and the top half came hurling down towards Urahara.

 _Shit._ Urahara hurriedly lifted his blade and pointed it at the tower.

He grit his teeth and channeled spirit energy into his zanpakuto, causing it to release a huge red beam from its tip. The laser bisected the falling half of the tower, further cutting it in two. The tower split apart around Urahara, and the two halves crashed to the ground on either side of him.

 _That was close,_ Kisuke thought to himself as the dust and debris settled.

However, his respite was cut short when Tengen's huge sword came crashing down towards Urahara. The shopkeeper flash-stepped to the right in order to avoid being utterly crushed, but the shock wave from the sword hitting the ground sent him flying into the courtyard's right-most wall.

"Give up, fool!" came Komamura's booming voice as Urahara gingerly got back to his feet.

Urahara winced and looked up at Komamura's huge bankai. The Tengen was armored from head to toe, and no matter how hard he looked, Urahara could not discern any weak spots in the armor.

He then glanced down at Komamura, the huge captain resembling an insect as he stood next to his enormous bankai.

 _That's my only option,_ Urahara realized as he looked at Komamura. _I have to attack the wielder, not the bankai itself._

Urahara pointed his zanpakuto at Komamura and released another beam of reishi, but to his surprise, Tengen reached down with its sword and blocked the attack with surprising speed.

"That won't work on me," Komamura told him. "My bankai provides both the ultimate offense as well as the ultimate defense."

Urahara flash-stepped in the direction of Komamura and began rushing him head-on. _Tengen won't be able to reach Komamura in time if I attack from close-range._

However, the former captain's strategy was disrupted when Tengen's blade came smashing down a few meters away from Kisuke's position. The impact sent him flying, and he hit the ground with a thud far away from Komamura.

He groaned as he sorely got to his feet. _Damn it, I can't even get close to him. At this rate, he's going to kill me if I don't use my own bankai._

Urahara was hoping to reserve his bankai, as using it would consume an immense amount of spirit energy. He still had to go help Ichigo, and he did not want to drain himself before he could get to the orange-haired soul reaper.

His thoughts were interrupted as he barely managed to dodge another strike from Komamura's bankai. Dust and debris cluttered the air, and Urahara wracked his brain for a way to defeat the Seventh Division Captain.

 _Kido? No, I don't have anything that can contain something that big without draining myself of all of my spirit energy._

He then began surveying the battlefield, and he smiled as he noticed something that could help him win this fight.

Urahara readied his zanpakuto and pointed it at Tengen.

"That won't work. Tengen's armor will not be destroyed by your shikai," Komamura stated with confidence.

"I know," Urahara replied with a smile.

He fired a beam of red energy from his blade, but the laser went past Tengen and instead hit the second tower on the other end of the courtyard.

Urahara smirked as he saw the tower begin to fall in the direction of Tengen and Komamura. He had calculated the angle needed for his Benihime to collapse the tower so that it fell towards Komamura.

 _He's got three options now. One, he dodges and leaves his own body open to a ranged attack from Benihime. Two, he lets the tower hit Tengen and risks having his actual body damaged by the impact and hit by debris. Or, option three..._

As the tower rushed towards Komamura and his bankai, the dog-faced captain made the split-second decision to catch the tower with Tengen and prevent it from falling on himself. However, since Tengen was now supporting the tower with both its hands, Komamura, the 'puppeteer' who controlled Tengen's actions, also had his hands full.

Now that Komamura was unable to defend himself, Urahara launched a condensed crimson beam towards the captain. Just as Komamura tossed the tower safely away from himself, the beam reached him and pierced through his stomach.

Komamura grunted in pain as he fell to the ground, smoke trailing from the small hole Benihime left in his stomach. He coughed, and blood spurted out of his maw.

Urahara walked over to the fallen captain. "You should be alright if the Fourth Division can reach you in time. If not, well… You fought bravely, Captain Komamura."

Komamura stared angrily as Urahara turned to leave, his green cloak swaying in the breeze.

* * *

 _The classroom was alive with the sounds of voices as the soon-to-be soul reapers excitedly awaited their squad assignments. A single instructor stood at the head of the classroom and tried to quiet the new graduates down, but he failed miserably and instead decided to just begin calling out names and handing out the assignments._

 _Harukaze Kuchiki sat at his desk, his insides churning with anticipation but his expression calm and stoic._

" _You don't seem very excited," Gin Ichimaru observed as he took a seat next to Haru._

" _Hm? Oh. I'm not too worried. I'm sure I'll get a seated position," Haru replied._

" _What makes you think that?" a bubbly voice asked from behind. "You shouldn't be so cocky, Haru."_

 _Haru whirled around and glared at the speaker, Rangiku Matsumoto._

" _Unlike you, Rangiku, I actually have good grades," Haru countered. "So I've got nothing to be worried about."_

" _And you have the Kuchiki name," she teased. "I'm sure that'll help a lot."_

 _Harukaze was about to form a reply, but the instructor's voice rang out as he called Rangiku's name. He watched as she received a piece of paper from the instructor._

 _She smiled brightly as she looked it over. "Ninth Seat, Tenth Division."_

" _That's pretty good, Rangiku," Gin commented._

" _How do you like that. Haru?" Rangiku taunted as she waved the paper in his face._

 _Just as he was about to reply again, the instructor called out his name. Harukaze got to his feet, trying to appear collected as he shuffled towards the instructor._

 _He nervously glanced at the paper but smirked when he saw the assignment. He turned to Rangiku and Gin._

" _Eight Division, Fifth Seat. Beat that," he gloated._

 _Rangiku huffed, but Gin only smiled at him._

" _Wow, you guys are doing pretty well," he said._

 _Haru sat back down. "You've got the highest scores in the Academy, Gin. You should get a seated position as well."_

 _Gin shrugged and got up as the instructor called his name. He returned to his seat after glancing at his assignment, the strange smile that he always seemed to wear still in place._

" _... Well?" Rangiku asked as Gin sat down._

 _He showed them the paper._

" _Lieutenant of the Fifth Division."_

* * *

When Haru finally arrived at the Fifth Division offices, he found Gin already there, waiting for him.

"That sure took a while," Gin noted.

Haru shrugged. "I had business to take care of."

Gin's smile became wider. "I see."

Haru glanced around at the offices. "So… Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

"I thought I'd show you around. I used to be a member of the Fifth Division, remember?" Gin replied.

"Oh, right," Haru recalled. "You were Aizen's lieutenant."

Gin nodded. "Shame what happened to him."

"Yeah. Do they have any suspects yet?"

"Not that I know of," Gin said before pausing briefly. "... But I s'pose there are some who would consider me one."

Haru raised an eyebrow. "People actually think you murdered Captain Aizen?"

Gin smiled. "Aizen's lieutenant sure thinks so. She actually attacked me because of that."

"What? Why would she think that?"

Gin shook his head. "Not a clue. Maybe it was somethin' Aizen said before he died, who knows? Either way, she's been thrown in the Tenth Division's holding cells. She's now your lieutenant, so you might want to bust her out."

"... And you're alright with that?" Haru asked.

"Sure. It's not like she poses a threat to me," Gin said breezily as he began walking away. "Anyway, I think I'll actually show you around some other time. I'm sure you've got a lot of business to take care of at the moment."

Haru watched Gin leave. _That was strange. So he brought me here just to tell me that he's a suspect in Aizen's murder?... Then again, Gin has always been a bit different._

He decided that he'd better take Gin's advice and go see his new lieutenant. The lieutenant is the captain's right hand, so he probably shouldn't leave his to rot in a holding cell.

 _I don't actually remember who the Fifth Division's lieutenant is…_ he thought to himself as he made his way towards the Tenth Division barracks. A good number of the lieutenant positions were unfilled when he left the Seireitei four years ago, but it appeared that the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had finally got around to replacing them.

After a few minutes of travelling, Haru finally found himself at the Tenth Division barracks. The layout for all the division barracks was more or less the same, so it didn't take him too long to arrive at the hallway which held the jail cells.

When he got there, he noticed a soul reaper with long, strawberry-blonde hair and a generous bust standing in front of one of the cells. She turned around as she heard his footsteps.

"... Haru, is that you?" Rangiku asked with surprise. "I thought you weren't supposed to be back for another year! And you're a captain now?!"

He nodded in greeting and gave her a smile. "With the way things are now, I guess the Soul Society needed the extra help."

When he walked up to the cell, he saw a short, brown-haired woman inside, her dark eyes watching him curiously.

"Is this the Fifth Division lieutenant?" Haru asked Rangiku.

She nodded. "Momo Hinamori."

"Who are you?" Momo asked him from inside the cell, her voice untrusting.

"I am Harukaze Kuchiki, captain of the Fifth Division," Haru introduced. "Nice you meet you, Lieutenant Hinamori."

Momo narrowed her eyes. "You're Captain Aizen's replacement?"

"Oh, you're probably wondering why she's locked up," Rangiku broke in, but Haru shook his head.

"Gin already told me everything. He said that it's fine if we release her."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Captain Kuchiki?"

Haru turned around to see Toshiro Hitsugaya, captain of the Tenth Division. He didn't know the boy personally, but he had heard all about the supposed prodigy that was making his way through the Academy.

"Captain Hitsugaya," Haru greeted. "She is my lieutenant, so I would prefer if she were not locked up."

"If that is your wish," Toshiro sighed as he gestured to Rangiku to unlock the cell.

The small captain then turned to Momo.

"No more attacking other captains and officers, understand?" he said to her, his voice serious but his eyes soft.

Momo frowned, but eventually nodded. "... Yeah."

"Rangiku, take Momo and return her possessions to her," Hitsugaya ordered. "Captain Kuchiki, I would like a word with you."

When the two lieutenants exited, Toshiro turned to Haru.

"You're friends with Gin Ichimaru, correct?"

"Yes," Haru confirmed. "But I don't think he had anything to do with Aizen's murder, if that's what this is about. I'll make sure my lieutenant doesn't do anything rash."

Toshiro nodded. "Even so, there is something strange about this whole thing. Who could possibly kill a captain-class shinigami? And why do it now?"

"Didn't the Captain Commander say it might have had something to do with these invaders?" Harukaze offered.

"Maybe, but to be able to sneak into the Seireitei unnoticed and murder a captain… Not even Kisuke Urahara or Yoruichi Shihoin could have pulled that off by themselves. If they did do it, they had to have some help from the inside."

"So you think that someone within the Seireitei is a traitor?"

Hitsugaya appeared troubled. "That seems likely. I'm talking about this with you because you are the only one who definitely couldn't have done it, considering you were hundreds of kilometers away at the time of the murder. Still, keep an eye out."

"I will," Haru assured him before heading out.

 _A traitor in the Seireitei?_ Though the notion may have been somewhat far-fetched, Haru had been wondering himself how someone could have assassinated one of the most powerful captains.

 _First Rukia, then the intruders, now this… The Soul Society has really lost it since I left._

* * *

Yoruichi tossed the bloodied knife to the ground where it clattered onto the tiling. She regarded Soifon with cool, unperturbed eyes.

"It's been a while… Soifon."

Captain Soifon glared back at the werecat. "It has."

"So, you're here to fight me?" Yoruichi inquired with a sly smile.

Soifon grit her teeth. "I'm here to kill you! You and that bastard Urahara!"

Yoruichi smirked. "You seem a bit angry."

"You come back now, after what you did… Why would you, the leader of the Stealth Force, ever help someone like _Urahara_ flee from his punishment? Why?!" Soifon demanded.

"Duty and honor isn't everything, Soifon," Yoruichi said as she shook her head. "You never did learn that."

"Shut up!" Soifon yelled as she leapt from the rooftop and onto the tiled floor. She glared at Yoruichi again.

Yoruichi sighed and rolled her shoulders. "If you insist on fighting me, I guess I have no choice."

Soifon continued to glare at her, then drew her zanpakuto. "Sting all enemies to death. Suzumebachi!"

The sword transformed into a glove-like appendage with a large, pointed stinger encasing Soifon's middle finger. The captain growled as she leapt towards Yoruichi.

Yoruichi lifted her right arm to block Soifon's first kick, but she was quickly forced to duck as Soifon's other leg came rushing at her head. Yoruichi then barely managed to flash-step away from a strike from Suzumebachi.

Soifon, however, was not willing to let Yoruichi get away. With her own perfectly-executed flash-step, Soifon rushed at Yoruichi and missed stabbing her left eye out by a few centimeters.

Yoruichi countered with a powerful kick aimed at the right side of Soifon's head, forcing the captain to bring up her right arm to block.

Yoruichi smirked. Now that Soifon's zanpakuto arm was occupied, the werecat was free to attack with more power and less caution. She rocketed her fist at Soifon's jaw, and she felt a satisfying crack as her knuckles made contact with the captain's face.

Unfortunately for Yoruichi, Soifon disappeared as soon as the punch landed, leaving only her white captain's haori behind. Before Yoruichi could react, she felt an intense stinging sensation between her shoulder blades.

The dark-skinned werecat leapt away and hissed in pain. Soifon smiled.

"You're the one who taught me that technique, Lady Yoruichi. A shame you couldn't predict it."

Yoruichi frowned as the stinging in her back continued. If she were to be hit there one more time, that would be it.

However, instead of keeping her distance, Yoruichi flash-stepped straight towards Soifon. Surprise flashed across the Captain of the Stealth Force's face as she barely managed to block Yoruichi's rapid flurry of attacks.

As Soifon ducked under yet another kick, she tried to figure out what Yoruichi's strategy was. Soifon had seen Yoruichi fight in the past before, and she knew just how crafty the werecat could be. Though Soifon had now taken over the role of Captain of the Stealth Force, she was still a much more direct fighter than Yoruichi.

The blue-haired captain was snapped out of her thoughts when Yoruichi's right fist brushed the side of her face, barely missing. Fortunately for her, the missed attack had left Yoruichi's back open. Soifon smirked as she thrusted her gloved zanpakuto towards the black butterfly marking on Yoruichi's bright orange shirt.

Soifon's bladed finger came millimeters away from Yoruichi's back when the werecat suddenly twisted around and launched a roundhouse kick with her left foot. Because she was in the middle of a lunge, Soifon was unable to avoid the strike and reeled backwards as Yoruichi's powerful kick collided with her head.

Soifon leapt away and spit out some blood. She regarded the smirking Yoruichi through narrowed eyes.

 _So her plan was to bait me by exposing her weak spot to me? Damn it! So obvious, yet I fell for it anyway…_

The short-haired captain suddenly had an idea. _I am the Captain of of the Stealth Force. Stealth is my strength._

Soifon then flash-stepped away, leaving a confused Yoruichi alone on the battlefield.

"Where did she go?" Yoruichi mumbled to herself.

Her eyes lit up as she realized her former subordinate's plan. "I see…"

Yoruichi also flash-stepped away from the site of the battle and headed towards one of the back alleys surrounding the courtyard. A lot of the narrow corridors found in the Seireitei were reserved for storage or other logistical uses, and this one was no different.

Lining either side of the corridor were some small, short, hut-like buildings, most of them dark and relatively empty. Yoruichi stepped into one of the buildings and found that it housed a collection of janitorial supplies.

 _This must be one of the Fourth Division's storage facilities,_ Yoruichi thought as she recalled how the menial tasks such as cleaning the Seireitei were forced upon members of Squad Four.

After waiting a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, Yoruichi surveyed the brooms, baskets, and soap containers that were strewn about the room.

She smiled. "This will do just fine."

Meanwhile, Soifon had been searching the areas and corridors surrounding the battlefield in search of Yoruichi. Soifon had been hiding her spiritual pressure the entire time she had been searching, as was expected of the Captain of the Stealth Force.

However, such a technique was not an easy one to master, and only the captain, the lieutenant, and a handful of other officers in the Second Division had the skill to pull it off.

 _And that's exactly why Lady Yoruichi is going to slip up,_ Soifon thought with a smirk.

She knew that Yoruichi had lost her touch in the hundred years since she left the Seireitei, so it was inevitable that Yoruichi wouldn't be able to hold the reiatsu-masking technique for long.

A sudden spike in spiritual pressure confirmed Sui-Feng's suspicions. She smiled to herself as she quickly but silently headed over towards the location of the reiatsu.

When she got there, she found herself in front of what appeared to be one of Squad Four's storage facilities. The room was dark, but Soifon could faintly make out the shapes of brooms, mops, and bottles.

She silently entered the room, careful not to make any noise as to give away her position. Though her eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, she was able to see the bright orange of Yoruichi's shirt.

 _You're finished!_ Sui-Feng thought victoriously as she rushed at Yoruichi and skewered her with Suzumebachi.

However, instead of feeling her finger sink into flesh, Soifon heard the sound of splintering wood as her zanpakuto tore through the orange shirt and into the handle of the mop the shirt was hanging from.

Before Soifon could react, a vicious kick struck her in the back and sent her flying into a rack of cleaning supplies. She tried to struggle to her feet, but another kick shattered her ribs and slammed her into the wall.

The Second Division Captain winced and looked up to see Yoruichi dressed in her black, backless undershirt standing above her. The dark-skinned woman reached down and grabbed Soifon's zanpakuto hand.

The captain cried out in pain as Yoruichi broke her middle finger, effectively preventing Soifon from using Suzumebachi.

"Looks like you lost… Soifon."

"... Damn it," the blue-haired soul reaper breathed out.

Yoruichi smiled. "You were always one to rush into a battle without fully analyzing the situation first. You should have realized that you can't just walk into a dark room and expect to be able to see. I baited you with that bright orange shirt, but you really should have checked the whole room instead of just rushing in."

Soifon whimpered in pain as her finger and ribs throbbed. "S-so that spike of reiatsu… You did it on purpose? It w-was a trap?"

Yoruichi nodded. "Of course. You underestimated me, Soifon. Though it has been a hundred years, my skills haven't dulled a bit since I was Captain of the Stealth Force. I would never make a mistake as stupid as that."

"B-but… That's impossible! I know you're rusty…"

"What, are you referring to when you managed to hit me with that throwing knife earlier?" Yoruichi said with a smirk. "All part of my plan. I allowed you to hit me so that you would get the false impression that my skills have deteriorated."

Soifon screwed her eyes shut and grit her teeth, both from the physical and mental distress of the situation.

"... Why did you do it," Soifon finally said, her voice almost a whisper. "Why d-did you leave the Seireitei… Why did you leave me."

Yoruichi's gaze softened. "I told you already. Some things are more important than duty and honor. My friend was in trouble, so I helped him. That's all there is to it."

"But why! Kisuke Urahara is a criminal…"

"And he's still my friend," Yoruichi interrupted. "Kisuke felt bad about his actions, and he desperately wanted to redeem himself, so I helped him escape. That's what friends do."

Soifon didn't have an answer to that, and she simply laid there and drew in another ragged breath.

"Don't tell me you can't understand that feeling, Soifon," Yoruichi suddenly said. "You and I were friends once, weren't we? If I had been in Kisuke's place, you would have helped me escape… And I would have done the same for you."

Soifon tried to resist, but the memories of her time with Yoruichi came flooding back to her. She often thought of Yoruichi, but unlike the other times, these memories were filled with happiness and nostalgia.

"If we were friends, then w-why didn't you take me with you!" Soifon demanded.

Yoruichi kneeled down and put her hand on the captain's shoulder.

"Look at how much you've grown since I left. You're much stronger than before, and you're even a captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads now. If I had taken you with me, I would have also taken those opportunities away from you."

Tears flooded Soifon's eyes as she listened to Yoruichi's comforting words. Though she tried to mask it behind resentment and revenge, all she wanted was to be with Yoruichi again.

"Soifon," Yoruichi began, "we're still friends, and we always will be."

She then lifted the smaller captain and carried her in her arms.

Soifon looked at her in surprise. "L-lady Yoruichi?"

"We're leaving. I think I know just the person who can heal your injuries."

* * *

Ichigo paused for a moment to catch his breath. He stopped and looked up.

"It looks like I'm getting closer to Sokyoku Hill," he said to himself as he glanced up at the imposing landmark.

He took a moment to rub his shoulder where that bald soul reaper had hit him.

 _Damn, that Ikkaku guy sure packed a punch,_ he thought as he sorely rubbed the bruise.

Ichigo had managed to defeat the Third Seat of the Eleventh Division with relative ease, though he sure as hell wouldn't have even stood a chance if it weren't for Urahara's training. He had left the soul reaper alive, and he was rewarded for it when Ikkaku decided to give him directions to Sokyoku Hill.

The orange-haired shinigami resumed his trek and recalled the other thing Ikkaku had said to him after Ichigo had told him what the invaders' goal was.

" _You realize you're going to have to fight a bunch of lieutenants and captains if you want to rescue this Rukia girl, right?" Ikkaku said from his seated position against the wall._

" _I figured as much," Ichigo replied. "But since you're a third seat, you should be around their level, right?"_

 _Ikkaku laughed. "Not even close, buddy. A lieutenant is way more powerful than a third seat, and a captain isn't even comparable."_

 _Ichigo thought back to his encounter with Renji. He didn't stand a chance against the red-haired lieutenant, but that was before he underwent Urahara's training._

" _So you think that I can't beat them?" Ichigo asked Ikkaku._

 _The bald soul reaper shrugged. "I don't know. I could tell you were holding back during our battle, so I'm not sure what your full power is like."_

 _Ichigo smirked. "So you're telling me there's a chance, right?"_

 _The Third Seat frowned. "Don't look so confident, dumbass. Yeah, there's a chance, I guess. However, my advice is still this: if you meet a captain, run like hell."_

 _Ikkaku's face then darkened. "Be warned, though. My captain likes to hunt down and kill powerful enemies, so he'll definitely go chasing after someone like you. If he finds you, it's over."_

Ichigo returned to reality and hardened his gaze. _It doesn't matter who I have to face. I came here to save Rukia, and that's what I'm going to do._

He increased his pace and ran up a flight of stairs. He bounded up several more, and Sokyoku Hill got closer and closer. However, after he crossed his tenth flight of stairs, he was greeted with a familiar sight.

Renji Abarai stood at the far end of the large platform, in between Ichigo and the final flight of stairs.

"I thought I sensed your spiritual pressure," the red-haired lieutenant said.

Ichigo's expression was serious as he pulled Zangetsu off his back.

"Renji."

Renji unsheathed his own zanpakuto as he eyed Ichigo. "You're stronger than before."

Ichigo looked him in the eye as Zangetsu began to glow.

"Much stronger."

Renji barely got out of the way as a large blast of spirit energy erupted from Ichigo's blade and came rushing towards him. He winced as he saw the beam of energy slam into the rocky wall behind him, creating a large explosion and bringing a good chunk of it down.

 _If I had dodged a second later, I would be dead,_ Renji thought grimly.

"You like it?" Ichigo asked Renji. "It's called 'Getsuga Tensho.'"

Renji smirked. "Impressive. Looks like you've mastered shikai."

"Oh, I've mastered more than that," Ichigo said as he flash-stepped towards Renji.

Renji barely raised his blade in time to block Ichigo's strike.

"Flash-step as well?" Renji said through clenched teeth.

The Sixth Division Lieutenant tried to overpower his shorter opponent, but he found that Ichigo was stronger than he looked. Renji scowled as he leapt away from Ichigo.

 _I suppose I'll fight from a distance._ "Roar, Zabimaru!"

Ichigo watched as Renji's sword transformed and extended outwards. He had seen this before, and this time he was ready for it.

As the sword came towards him, Ichigo flash-stepped to the side and raised his own zanpakuto, preparing another Getsuga Tensho. However, before he could release the attack, he felt a sharp pain in his side. Zabimaru had curled around and struck Ichigo from behind.

Ichigo flash-stepped again, this time far away from Renji.

Renji smirked. "What, didn't know that Zabimaru was so flexible?"

"Damn it," Ichigo cursed under his breath.

He tried to fire off another Getsuga Tensho, but Renji's blade came rushing at him before he could release the attack.

Ichigo grunted as he blocked Zabimaru with Zangetsu. _Every time I try to attack, his stupid sword rushes towards me._

Suddenly, Zabimaru retracted. Before Ichigo realized what was going on, it extended outwards again, this time going around Ichigo's sword and slicing into his right side.

Ichigo yelped in pain as he leapt away. _Now I can't even block his attacks?_

"Run all you want, Ichigo Kurosaki," Renji said. "But if you'll notice, you have taken quite a bit of damage while I'm still unscathed. That's the difference between a scrub like you and a lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"Fuck you!" Ichigo shouted. He grit his teeth in anger.

 _I can't dodge, I can't block… What the hell do I do?_

Renji frowned. "I've had enough of this. It's time for you to die, human!"

Zabimaru extended outwards once more. Ichigo watched as the blade came close, not attempting to block or dodge. When Renji's zanpakuto came close enough, Ichigo jumped and landed on top of it.

Renji's eyes widened. "What the hell?"

Ichigo ran on top of Zabimaru and sped towards Renji. The orange-haired soul reaper's blade began to glow.

"Fuck!" Renji panicked and let go of his sword, leaping out of the way just in time to avoid Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho.

Ichigo smirked as he saw the lieutenant flee and leave his sword behind. The Getsuga Tensho missed its target and crashed into the cliff, but that was fine with him now that Renji had no weapon.

Ichigo bent over and picked up Zabimaru in his left hand. He held it out and smirked at Renji.

"Forget something?" Ichigo asked with a mocking smile.

"Bastard…" Renji muttered.

The red-haired lieutenant was truly backed into a corner now. Since he was terrible at kido, he was left with no weapon but his fists.

Ichigo rushed at him, not letting the lieutenant catch his breath. Ichigo lifted both blades and sliced them at Renji in the shape of an 'X,' but the red-haired soul reaper managed to catch both blades before they could cut him.

Ichigo couldn't help but marvel at the lieutenant's strength. Renji clutched Zabimaru's blade in his right hand and Zangetsu's in his left, and Ichigo could see that Renji was bleeding from both palms. The lieutenant's arms trembled as he struggled to keep the blades from slicing any further into his body.

"You're pretty good..." Ichigo said with a smile. "Renji Abarai."

Renji's eyes widened in horror as he felt his left palm heat up. He turned his head to see Zangetsu glowing brightly.

Ichigo's eyes lit up with glee. "Getsuga… Tensho!"


	4. The Man Who Sold the World

_I apologize for the long wait, but the next few chapters should come out much more quickly. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited._

* * *

When the dust cleared, both Renji and Ichigo were sprawled out on the ground.

Renji groaned in pain and tried to get up, but his sore body protested and he failed miserably. He glanced over at Ichigo, who was having much better success at recovering than Renji was.

Ichigo still held Zangetsu in his hand, though he had let go of Zabimaru following the Getsuga Tensho explosion. He winced in pain as he got to his feet, but he was glad to see that Renji was in worse shape than he was. He walked over to the downed lieutenant.

"You still alive over there?" Ichigo asked him.

Renji glared weakly at Ichigo. "As if an attack of that caliber could kill me."

Ichigo smirked. "Trash talk all you want, but you don't look very good to me."

"Shut up," Renji replied. His gaze then softened. "... Mind if I ask you a question?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

"... Why are you risking your life to save Rukia?" Renji asked, somewhat hesitantly. "You barely know her."

"That's not true. She saved my family, and she saved me… She's my friend, and that's all there is to it," Ichigo answered. "What about you? You seemed to know Rukia when you saw her back in the real world."

Renji shut his eyes, as if trying to hold back painful memories. "She's my best friend. We've known each other since we were kids."

"What?!" Ichigo exclaimed. "Then do you know that she's about to be _executed_?"

"... Yes," Renji said softly. "There's nothing I can do about it. That's just the way it is."

"Bullshit." Ichigo's eyes were hard. "Instead of fighting against me, you should have fought _beside_ me. If Rukia's really your friend, then why aren't you trying to save her!?"

"I can't!" Renji shouted. "Do you know how powerful the Soul Society is? How powerful the captains are? I can't do shit about it!"

"So if you can't beat them, you join them?" Ichigo said, clearly disgusted.

Renji screwed his eyes shut. He didn't want to think about Rukia, Ichigo, the Soul Society, or anything.

"Well?" Ichigo prodded.

Renji was silent.

"... I'm weak," he finally admitted. "I'm weak. I can't do it. I can't save Rukia from anything, I never could. Even when the Kuchiki Clan came to take her, I couldn't stop her from leaving me."

"If you're weak, then get stronger!" Ichigo told him. "How do you think I felt when you came down to Earth and obliterated me? I felt weak as fuck! But look at me now. If you have a goal, then you fight to achieve it, no matter what it takes."

"That's so clichèd," Renji said, though he couldn't hide the small smile that appeared on his face.

Ichigo sat down next to him. "If you really want to save Rukia, then we'll do it together. How does that sound?"

Renji's smile grew wider. "... Sounds pretty good."

"A shame to hear you say so, Lieutenant Abarai," a third voice suddenly said.

Ichigo wheeled around to see a man with long black hair and cold, gray eyes standing a few feet away. The man wore what Ichigo recognized to be a captain's haori.

Ichigo got to his feet and immediately readied Zangetsu.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked somewhat nervously.

"C-captain…!" Renji gasped.

Byakuya spared a glance at Ichigo, then turned his gaze back to Renji.

"You actually lost to this filth, Renji?"

Reji ignored his captain's comments. "I-Ichigo, you have to get out of here!"

Ichigo didn't move. "Renji, who is this guy?"

Byakuya turned towards Ichigo. "I am Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the Sixth Division. I assume you are one of the intruders?"

"Kuchiki?" Ichigo repeated. "You're related to Rukia?"

"I am her brother," Byakuya simply replied. "Now, I would advise you to put down your sword and come quietly. There is no need for further fighting."

"Run, Ichigo!" Renji yelled. "You can't beat him!"

Ichigo grit his teeth. "Shut up, Renji! Getsuga…"

Before Ichigo could even begin channeling spirit energy into his blade, a powerful force slammed into his stomach and sent him sprawling onto the ground.

Ichigo coughed up blood and looked up to see Byakuya standing over him. _He's so fast!_

Cold steel touched Ichigo's throat, and the orange-haired soul reaper froze.

"Any further movement and I will slit your throat," Byakuya warned.

Before Ichigo could even think about what to do next, Byakuya flash-stepped away as a red beam sliced through the space he had occupied a second ago.

"Sorry, but I can't allow you to do that."

Ichigo glanced up to see Urahara holding Benihime, smoke drifting from its tip. Accompanying him were Yoruichi, that small, blue-haired captain from before, Chad, and Orihime.

"Kisuke Urahara," Byakuya stated. "You have quite the nerve to return here."

A smile danced upon Urahara's lips. "I know, right?"

"Watch your step, little boy," Yoruichi then said to Byakuya. "We've got you outnumbered."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "... Take your human soul reaper and leave the Soul Society. If I see any one of you here again, I will kill you."

With that, the silver-eyed captain disappeared in a speedy flash-step.

Urahara let out a breath as he put down his sword. "Whew, that was tense."

"You're lucky we arrived in time, huh Ichigo?" Yoruichi said with a smirk.

Ichigo gingerly got to his feet. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Cheer up," Urahara told him. "You may have gotten your ass kicked by Byakuya, but we're not going to be set back by such a small thing, right?"

"... He beat me with a single punch. He didn't even draw his zanpakuto until I was already on the ground."

"Captain Kuchiki is too strong," Renji agreed. "We can't beat him."

Ichigo looked at Renji, then remembered what he had just told the red-haired lieutenant a few minutes earlier. He felt ashamed at his own defeatism.

"Shut up, Renji," Ichigo said, his voice growing more confident. "That guy can't be invincible. If we have to beat him to save Rukia, then that's just what we'll do."

Renji looked confused at Ichigo's sudden change in demeanor, but Urahara cheered.

"That's the spirit!" the shopkeeper cried. "You just need to get a bit stronger, that's all."

Yoruichi nodded. "And we know just the place where you can do that."

* * *

Uryu stopped as he felt a strong spiritual pressure close by. He cursed under his breath as he looked up at Sokyoku Hill, which was only a couple flights of stairs away.

 _Damn it, I'm so close!_

Nevertheless, he conjured his bow as he prepared for the inevitable fight. A few seconds later, a soul reaper flash-stepped onto the platform between Uryu and the next flight of stairs.

Uryu took in the appearance of the shinigami. The strange figure wore black and white face paint and had blue hair, and he wore a strange hat on his head. His red eyes were disturbing and filled with curiosity, and he had an unnerving smile on his face.

However, what caught Uryu's attention the most was the white captain's haori the soul reaper wore.

 _So it's a captain._

"Oh, my. What do we have here?" The captain said in a slithery, diabolical tone. "A Quincy?"

Uryu's eyes narrowed. "How did you know that?"

The captain frowned. "Are you stupid? You hold a bow in your hand and you wear the uniform of the Wandenreich."

Uryu said nothing.

"I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of the Twelfth Division," the captain introduced. "And you are?"

"Uryu Ishida, Quincy," Uryu said as he aimed his bow. "Nice to meet you, Captain Kurotsuchi."

Uryu fired his arrow, but Mayuri drew his sword and deflected it with ease.

The captain grinned. "Likewise."

Uryu sped away using Hirenkyaku, then appeared directly behind Mayuri.

 _If long distance attacks won't work, then let's see how he handles a Heilig Pfeil from close range,_ Uryu thought as he released the arrow.

However, the captain managed to Flash-Step away a fraction of a second before the arrow pierced his back. When Kurotsuchi reappeared, he smiled madly.

"Your Hirenkyaku is very good, Uryu Ishida, as is the potency of your Heilig Pfeils," Mayuri complemented.

"You seem to know a lot about Quincy techniques," Uryu observed.

"I've done quite a bit of research on them. Unfortunately, I haven't had a good test subject in a while. My last one was some frail old man… What was his name again? Oh, right, I remember," Mayuri paused and grinned evilly. " _Soken Ishida_."

Uryu gnashed his teeth together and resisted the urge to fire another arrow at the grinning bastard's face.

"... So you killed him?" he asked instead, his voice laced with venom.

"No. He was already dead when I got to him. However, I quite enjoyed dissecting him." Mayuri pointed his sword at Uryu. "And I'm sure I will enjoy cutting you open just as much!"

Uryu fired a series of arrows, but Mayuri blocked the first two and then dodged the third. The captain rushed at Uryu, but the Quincy used Hirenkyaku to avoid Mayuri's slash.

"You're quick," Mayuri noted. "Looks like I will need to start trying. Rip, Ashisogi Jizo!"

Mayuri's zanpakuto transformed. It turned a dull gold color, and its one blade split into three prongs. The face of a child appeared near the hilt, also a gold color.

Uryu observed the process. _So this is his shikai. I need to find out what its ability is._

"So your zanpakuto just changes color and turns into an ugly baby," Uryu taunted. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Mayuri frowned. "Fool! Ashisogi Jizo does much more than that. If you are hit by its posion-coated blade, your limbs will be completely paralyzed!"

 _Thanks. Now I know to fight from afar,_ Uryu thought as he fired another arrow. _I knew a scientist-type like him wouldn't be able to resist talking about his achievements._

Mayuri blocked it again and Flash-Stepped towards Uryu. The Quincy tried to escape, but Mayuri followed closely behind. Soon enough, Uryu was within range of Ashisogi Jizo.

Kurotsuchi stabbed at Uryu, but the dark-haired Quincy blocked the weapon with his bow. Mayuri then tried another slash, this time aiming at Uryu's right shoulder, but Uryu once again brought his bow up to absorb the blow.

 _So this is the speed of a captain,_ Uryu observed as he barely blocked another sword strike. _I can't even fight from a distance because he's too fast to run away from._

If he couldn't fight from afar, Uryu decided that he would need to attack from close range again. When Mayuri's next attack came, Uryu deflected it with all of his strength, catching Mayuri off guard for a moment. Uryu used that opening to quickly launch another point-blank Heilig Pfeil.

Mayuri side-stepped and dodged the arrow, but surprise flashed across his face when Uryu disappeared from in front of him. The captain whirled around to see Uryu behind him, his bow raised.

The captain raised his sword to block Uryu's arrow, but the shot never came. Instead, Uryu fired an arrow at the previous Heilig Pfeil, and the arrow which had originally missed Mayuri came flying back towards him.

Too shocked to react, Mayuri cried out in pain as the first arrow dug into his leg. He winced as he pulled it out and tossed it to the ground.

 _My mobility has been compromised,_ the captain realized. _I truly have no choice but to use my full strength._

"Tell me, Quincy, have you heard of bankai?" Mayuri asked.

Uryu frowned as he thought back to the information Urahara gave him on the Soul Society. He knew that all captains had a power beyond shikai, but he had hoped to neutralize Mayuri before the captain could use it.

"I've heard of it," Uryu replied.

"Is that so? Well, now you are about to see it as well. Bankai!"

Uryu watched in horror as a huge, golden, caterpillar-like baby materialized behind Mayuri. Poison gas flowed out from the baby's mouth and nostrils, and Uryu realized that it was the same poison that coated Mayuri's sword.

He tried to speed away from the beast, but Mayuri Flash-Stepped in front of him and kicked him backwards. Uryu scrambled to his feet to try and escape the monster, but he suddenly felt his legs become heavy. A few seconds later, he collapsed.

 _Shit, I can't move!_ Uryu thought as he lay on the ground.

Mayuri cackled. "It's over, Uryu Ishida! Now you will join your kinsman right after I - what?"

The captain suddenly stopped mid-sentence as he felt his arms and legs becoming numb. He then hit the ground, and his bankai stopped moving as well. The baby cried out as its master became immobilized, then disappeared and reverted back to sword form.

Mayuri began sweating as he lay on the ground, frantically trying to understand what had happened. "W-what's going on?"

"Finally kicked in, huh?" Uryu observed from where he lay.

Mayuri looked at him with a mixture of confusion and horror. "What are you talking about! This can't be happening! I am immune to Ashisogi Jizo's poison!"

"Remember that arrow I shot at you that missed and then hit you when I deflected it with another arrow? It didn't actually miss the first time. I was aiming for your sword."

Mayuri's eyes grew wide. "You… You coated your arrow with my zanpakuto's poison?"

"Yes. The Quincy reishi that was contained in the arrow helped to disrupt your own reishi within your body, which is why the poison worked," Uryu explained. "It just took a bit longer to kick in."

"... Genius! Marvelous, Uryu Ishida," Mayuri finally exclaimed. "I never thought you would have been able to pull off something like that. You truly are a unique specimen."

Uryu didn't know how to take that. "Thanks, I guess? Anyway, how long does it take for this poison to wear off?"

"About two hours," Mayuri replied. "Seems like you're stuck here for the moment. But don't worry, we have much to discuss... How many Quincies do you think there are left in the world, Uryu?"

"Two. My father and me," Uryu answered, a bit confused at why Mayuri was asking about such a thing.

"Wrong," Mayuri said. "According to the data my researchers have gathered, Quincy spiritual pressure has been detected in a few places in the Soul Society."

Uryu was surprised to hear that. "Really? Who are they?"

"We don't know as of yet, but one things is for certain," Mayuri looked at Uryu, a devilish grin on his face. "You and your father are not the last Quincies."

* * *

Momo smiled sadly as she stood in the captain's office in the Fifth Division barracks. Her new captain had gone out, so she was alone in the office. She approached the desk, which was still covered with the late Sosuke Aizen's belongings.

Her breathing hitched as she saw the photo of her and her captain smiling together. The two were dressed in traditional garb, and it was obvious that the photograph had been taken at some kind of festival. Momo picked up the frame and fondly rubbed the picture.

 _Captain Aizen…_

She remembered his smile, his embrace. She shut her eyes and tried to stop the tears from flowing.

Momo sat down in the chair. _It still smells like him…_

She eyed the drawers on the desk and decided to open them. The first one contained a few pens and an unopened pack of pencils, and the second one only had an empty jar of salted peanuts in it. However, when she opened the third drawer, she was greeted with the sight of an envelope.

She picked it up and read the writing on it. _For Momo._

Her heart began beating faster as she hurriedly tore open the envelope. Inside, she found a handwritten letter from her precious captain.

Momo read it over, and her eyes widened as she finished. Her hands trembled as she neatly folded the letter and put it in her pocket.

She then began speeding towards the Tenth Division, specifically the captain's quarters. Tears filled her eyes and threatened to fall as she Flash-Stepped towards her destination.

 _Toshiro… Why?_

When she got to the Tenth Division, she found Toshiro Hitsugaya in the courtyard. The yard was mostly empty save for Toshiro, but also present were his lieutenant and, to Momo's surprise, Gin Ichimaru and Harukaze Kuchiki, her new captain.

The four looked up when Momo arrived.

"Oh, hello, Momo. Did you need something?" Toshiro asked.

Momo walked over to him and pulled out the letter. She handed it over to him silently.

Toshiro took the letter with a raised eyebrow, but his expression changed to one of horror when he finished reading it.

"Wait… Momo, I…"

"What does it say?" Rangiku interrupted.

"It was written by Captain Aizen, and it says that he feared that Toshiro would kill him," Momo answered, her hard gaze still fixed on Hitsugaya. "It all makes sense now."

Toshiro looked bewildered. "H-how does this make sense?! It's nonsense!"

"It was written by Captain Aizen! I know his handwriting!" Momo yelled. "He wouldn't lie like that!"

"But it doesn't make sense!" Toshiro insisted. "Why would I kill Captain Aizen?"

"Captain Aizen did mention to me a few times that you didn't like how close he was getting to Momo," Gin cut in. "Not saying you would murder him for that, but…"

Toshiro's eyes were wide with shock as he turned to Gin. "What?"

Momo unsheathed her zanpakuto, her eyes brimming with tears. "I've heard enough!"

"Wait, Momo!"

Toshiro's plea was ignored as Momo released her zanpakuto and sent an explosive ball of spirit energy at him. He dodged the attack and reluctantly drew his own sword.

Rangiku reached for her zanpakuto, but Gin stopped her.

"Let them handle it," he said. "It would be better if you don't interfere."

Rangiku glanced at Gin, then at Haru, who had been watching the shocking scene unfold.

Harukaze continued to stare as Hitsugaya froze another one of Momo's meteors.

 _Could Hitsugaya have actually killed Captain Aizen?_ He wondered. _He did warn me that a traitor in the Seireitei was responsible… Could that have been to throw me off and remove himself from suspicion?_

"Momo, stop this!" Hitsugaya shouted as he dodged Momo's attack.

Momo rushed at Hitsugaya and slashed at him, forcing him to lift his blade in defense. The two swords pushed against each other, fighting for dominance. Though Hitsugaya was a captain, his physical strength wasn't much better than Momo's.

"Why did you do it!" Momo demanded.

"You have to believe me, I didn't do it!" Hitsugaya replied.

Momo suddenly stopped pushing against Hitsugaya's sword, and Toshiro thought for a moment that she had finally snapped out of her rage. However, that was proven untrue when Momo flung her sword upwards and sent a ball of spirit energy into Toshiro's face.

Hitsugaya barely managed to block it with his sword, but the explosion at such a close range sent him flying. He coughed as he got to his feet.

"That's it," Haru said from the sidelines as he reached for his zanpakuto. "I can't let this go on. Momo is my responsibility now."

"No need," Gin replied. "It'll be over soon. A lieutenant is no match for a captain, even if that captain isn't going for the kill."

Sure enough, once Hitsugaya got to his feet, he Flash-Stepped over to Momo and froze her entire right arm with one swing of his sword. Surprise flashed across the brunette lieutenant's face as she felt the cold hit her.

"Sorry Momo, but -" Hitsugaya's sentence was interrupted when a blade pierced through his stomach.

Everyone turned to look at Gin, who had released his zanpakuto and skewered Hitsugaya from afar.

"Ha, sorry," Gin said with his strange smile, "but I just couldn't let Captain Aizen's murderer get away."

Blood spurted out of Toshiro's mouth, but no one moved. Everyone was still in shock over what just occurred.

Suddenly, a new figure Flash-Stepped into the room. A horrified expression raced across Captain Retsu Unohana's face as she took in the scene.

"What is going on here?" she gasped.

In a flash, Gin's blade retracted and returned to its small size. The Captain of the Third Division then smiled before flash-stepping away. No one bothered to give chase.

As soon as Gin exited, Rangiku rushed to her captain's side. Haru stood dumbly, unsure of what to do.

"Toshiro!" Momo screamed, tears streaming down her face.

Unohana moved to tend to Hitsugaya. "Please unfreeze Lieutenant Hinamori's arm, Captain Kuchiki."

"R-right," Haru said as he walked over to his lieutenant and used a weak kido to begin melting the ice. Haru briefly glanced at her, but Momo looked away, her eyes filled with sadness and shame.

 _What the hell just happened here?_

* * *

Kaname Tousen checked the surroundings to make sure he wasn't being followed before knocking on the door to the meeting place of Central 46. After a brief pause, Kaname entered.

When he stepped inside, he found the room devoid of all reiatsu, save for one man who sat at one of the chairs in the front row.

Sosuke Aizen had traded his shinigami uniform for some whiter garb, and he wore his hair slicked back with a single strand hanging over his face. He had also removed his glasses.

Aizen looked up from a book he was reading as Kaname entered. "Ah, Kaname, you're here."

Tousen bowed his head. "Sir."

"I heard Gin is doing quite a fine job stirring up trouble."

Kaname nodded reluctantly. "Yes. He tipped the Sixth Division off to Rukia Kuchiki's location, leading to her arrest and the subsequent invasion by the humans and former captains. He has also made it appear as if Toshiro Hitsugaya was the one who killed you, and I am told that Captain Hitsugaya has been attacked by Gin and is now in critical condition."

Aizen sighed in disapproval. "I told Gin not to do anything too violent. Well, I suppose it's alright."

"Captain Aizen… Are you sure that you can trust Gin?" Kaname asked.

"What makes you think I trust him? In fact, I don't even trust you, Kaname."

Kaname froze. "... I understand, sir."

Aizen smiled knowingly. "Just because I don't trust you doesn't mean you can't trust me, Kaname. The leader is always predictable, as he is directing the big picture. It is the subordinates who fill in the details that are unpredictable."

"Yes, Captain Aizen."

"I want to show you something," Aizen said. He closed his book and picked up a sack from the ground beside him.

He opened it and revealed a large golden key with strange markings on it.

Though he could not see it, Kaname sensed strange spirit energy emanating from the object. "What is it?"

"The Oken."

Kaname barely managed to prevent his jaw from dropping in surprise.

"So you've found it?" the blind captain asked.

"Yes. It was located under Central 46, just as I hypothesized it would be. The door to the vault required the blood of each member of the council in order to open, so it was good that we took care of that part beforehand."

"Does this mean we can go to the Royal Palace now?"

"No," Aizen said as he fingered the cover of his book. "According to the literature on the subject, the key must be activated in order for it to work. It is not enough to simply procure the key."

"And what would we need to do to activate it?" Kaname asked.

"The Oken needs one additional ingredient to activate," Aizen said with a smile. "The blood of the current Captain Commander."


	5. Blood and Glory on Sokyoku Hill

Ichigo grunted as he blocked another one of Zangetsu's slashes. The manifested zanpakuto had the appearance of a man with long hair, dark attire, and a close-shaven beard. Ichigo had seen and fought Zangetsu before, but that had been in his mind and was not even close to the difficulty of beating an actual, real zanpakuto.

He took a moment to glance over at Renji and saw that the red-haired lieutenant was also fighting his zanpakuto. Zabimaru manifested as a baboon-like woman and a small, snakish kid, and Renji seemed to be having just as much difficulty as Ichigo.

"Keep your guard up, Ichigo," Zangetsu cautioned as he stabbed at the orange soul reaper.

Ichigo dodged and replied with a strike that barely missed Zangetsu.

"Great job, Ichigo!" Urahara cheered from the sidelines. "You're getting the hang of it!"

The group was training in Urahara's secret facility that was built into the cliff of Sokyoku Hill. According to Yoruichi, she and Urahara had trained there when they were young, and it allowed for the manifestation of zanpakutos so that shinigami could achieve bankai quicker.

 _Bankai,_ Ichigo contemplated as he ducked under Zangetsu's swing. _I wonder, will it help me beat a captain?_

He thought back to his brief encounter with Byakuya Kuchiki and grit his teeth.

 _I can't afford to lose next time!_ Ichigo brought his sword up and then slashed it downwards, forcing Zangetsu backwards as the manifested zanpakuto struggled to block it.

Just when Ichigo finally had the upperhand, Zangetsu told him to stop.

"What? Why?" Ichigo asked, but he soon felt the presence of two more spiritual pressures arriving.

Urahara noticed as well. The shopkeeper drew his zanpakuto and turned to the direction of the entrance. However, once he saw who it was, he lowered his sword.

"Uryu, Mayuri, so nice of you to join us!" Urahara greeted.

Ichigo watched as his classmate entered along with a freaky-looking soul reaper. Ichigo noticed that both of them seemed injured, and that the soul reaper Uryu brought with him was a captain.

"Urahara," Mayuri stated with a hint of disdain. "My hypothesis was correct. You are here."

Urahara itched his beard sheepishly. "You knew about this place?"

"Of course. You think I didn't bother tracking you when you went out all those times?" Mayuri replied simply.

Uryu finally noticed Ichigo. "Kurosaki."

Ichigo couldn't help but smile. "Ishida. Glad to see you're alright."

The Quincy scoffed at that. "Of course I am. I'm surprised to see you're still alive, though."

"Shut up," Ichigo responded. "Anyway, why'd you bring that guy with you?"

"Excuse me?" Mayuri said as he turned to Ichigo. "And just who are you?"

"Mayuri, meet Ichigo. Ichigo, Mayuri," Urahara introduced.

"Ah, so this is the human-shinigami you told me about," Mayuri said to Uryu. "Isshin's son."

Ichigo blinked. "You knew my father?"

"A lot of people do," Urahara replied. "Remember, your father used to be a captain."

"Where's everybody else?" Uryu interrupted.

"Chad and Orihime are training with Yoruichi and Soifon somewhere in the back," Urahara answered as he gestured behind him.

"Oh, those must be the two with the strange powers you mentioned," Mayuri exclaimed with glee. "I must have a look!"

Uryu sighed as the strange captain bounded off. "I'd better go after him… Keep up the good work, Kurosaki."

"Yeah," Ichigo said as Uryu went further into the cavern.

Urahara chuckled. "I never thought we'd get two captains to join our side. We're in better shape than I hoped for."

"Ichigo has yet to achieve bankai," Zangetsu cut in. "Without it, he will be slaughtered by the remaining captains."

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo replied as he readied his blade once more. "Let's finish this, then!"

"Hold on."

Ichigo groaned as Zangetsu stopped him once more. "What now?"

Urahara perked up and raised his Benihime once more. "I don't recognize this reiatsu, but it's a strong one."

Ichigo gripped his sword as he turned his attention towards the entrance. A tall man with neck-length black hair walked into the cavern. He had a slender face and familiar gray eyes, and he also wore a captain's haori.

"Who are you?" Urahara questioned, his voice serious.

The man glanced calmly at Urahara. "I am Harukaze Kuchiki, newly-appointed Captain of the Fifth Division."

"How did you find this place?"

"I followed Captain Kurotsuchi's reiatsu," Harukaze replied. "You are Kisuke Urahara, no?"

Seeing as the man did not seem to be intent on fighting, Urahara lowered his sword. "Yes. What is your business here?"

The new captain glanced at Ichigo, and the orange-haired soul reaper drew in a breath as he recognized those eyes. _Byakuya…_

"Ichigo Kurosaki?" Harukaze questioned.

Ichigo nodded.

The captain stared at Ichigo, as if he were analyzing him. "Rukia mentioned you."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "You met with Rukia?"

"Yes. That is what I am here for actually."

Harukaze walked closer to Ichigo. Ichigo tightened his grip on his sword, but he made no move to attack.

"Relax, I am not your enemy," the captain assured him. "In fact, you could consider me your ally."

"Ally?" Ichigo repeated, still skeptical.

Haru smiled sadly. "Didn't you hear my name? Rukia is my cousin. If you are fighting to free her, then you have my support."

Ichigo lowered his weapon. "... Alright. That isn't what Byakuya said, though."

Surprise flashed across Haru's face. "You encountered Byakuya?"

"He did, and Byakuya almost killed him," Urahara replied as he too walked over. "That's why he's in here, training for bankai."

"Bankai? That takes years to achieve. Rukia's execution has been moved up to tomorrow!"

Ichigo almost gasped at the new information. _Tomorrow…?_

Urahara also seemed surprised, but he quickly recovered. "This training area is especially made to train bankai. I have full confidence that Ichigo can unlock his bankai by tomorrow."

"Don't be so quick to judge," Zangetsu interjected. "We haven't begun in earnest yet."

"And who might you be?" Haru asked.

"That's Zangetsu," Urahara answered, his eyes twinkling. "Ichigo's zanpakuto."

"... His zanpakuto?"

"I told you this is a special training zone," Urahara said with pride. "How about this: If you can prevent anything from happening until tomorrow, then Ichigo will be ready. I guarantee it."

Harukaze's eyes were hard as he looked over Ichigo. "... Alright. But you'd better hurry, Ichigo Kurosaki."

* * *

 _One day later..._

* * *

Harukaze Kuchiki glanced around nervously as he stood atop Sokyoku Hill. The day of Rukia's execution had arrived, and they would be bringing her in at any moment.

 _And still no Ichigo,_ he thought to himself as he took note of the people present for the execution.

The Gotei Thirteen were a sorry sight that day. The Captain Commander and his lieutenant were present, along with Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake. Ukitake did not have a lieutenant, so he was alone, but Nanao Ise stood vigilantly behind Shunsui.

Haru spared a brief glance at the two older captains. Both had agreed to help him rescue Rukia, but it didn't appear that they had come up with any sort of plan. It seemed as if their best course of action would be to simply attack and try and free Rukia as quickly as possible.

Captain Unohana was also present, though there were bags under her eyes and she was clearly worn out from treating the injured Captains Hitsugaya and Komamura. Her lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, stood behind her, but the uneasy expression on the tall lieutenant's face hinted that she also didn't want to be there.

Byakuya stood next to the Fourth Division Captain, his expression calm and controlled. He moved so little that he could have been mistaken for a statue.

Finally, the last captain present was Kenpachi Zaraki of the Eleventh Division. His small, pink-haired lieutenant sat on his shoulders, and though she had a smile on her face, Captain Zaraki was scowling. He had not been able to fight any of the invaders, so he was in a particularly bad mood.

What was concerning were the captains who were not present. Haru knew that Soifon and Mayuri were with Ichigo and Urahara, but the locations of Gin and Kaname Tousen were unknown. The Captain Commander had made it very clear that all able-bodied captains and lieutenants should be present for the execution, so it was strange that the two decided to be absent.

 _Though I suppose Gin is already in a lot of trouble,_ Haru thought as he recalled what had happened a few days earlier. The whole mess with Sosuke Aizen's murder had still not been sorted out, and it never would be until Toshiro recovered and Gin returned.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the bridge connecting the palace to Sokyoku Hill. Haru turned and saw Rukia being led by a handful of guards, her expression grim and her eyes dark. The guards led her past the captains and towards the Sokyoku, but when they passed by Haru, Rukia looked up and gave him a look filled with sadness.

Anger flooded his veins, and Harukaze could not hold it in any longer. He drew his zanpakuto and stepped out from his place on the sidelines.

"That's far enough," he said.

The guards seemed confused, but they stopped nonetheless. Rukia's eyes widened in surprise.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yamamoto demanded, his tone irritated.

Shunsui stepped out of line as well. "A few of us have decided that this execution doesn't seem very fair, Old Man Yama."

Ukitake nodded as he joined his friend. "Yes. We implore you to stop this at once."

Yamamoto looked furious. "What? How dare you!"

"Haru, take Rukia and get out of here," Shunsui told him. "Jushiro and I will handle the Old Man."

"No one will be taking Rukia anywhere," Byakuya said as he too broke rank. He unsheathed his zanpakuto.

Haru frowned and narrowed his eyes. "You would raise your sword against me over this, Byakuya?"

"For the protection of the Soul Society, yes," Byakuya replied as he readied his blade.

Shunsui chuckled and smiled at Haru. "Well, good luck."

Ukitake and Shunsui then rushed at Yamamoto, leaving Haru and Byakuya alone. Unohana watched the scene unfold with a horrified expression, but Kenpachi's was one of interest. The savage captain wore an ear-to-ear grin as he watched the proceedings.

"Brother, you don't have to do this!" Rukia called out to Byakuya, but her plea was ignored.

Byakuya rushed at Haru, and the new captain brought his blade up to block. He countered with a diagonal slash, but Byakuya side-stepped the attack. Before Byakuya could execute his next move, a handful of reiatsus suddenly appeared on Sokyoku Hill.

"Sorry I'm late," Ichigo said as he flash-stepped onto the battlefield.

Rukia's eyes lit up. "Ichigo!"

Ichigo smiled. "Hey, Rukia."

The rest of the group then appeared as well. Chad, Orihime, Yoruichi, Soifon, Urahara, Renji, Uryu, and Mayuri all arrived at the scene, shocking the three unsuspecting captains.

"Hell yeah, now it's getting interesting!" Kenpachi roared as he pulled out his sword. "Which one of you wants to fight me first?"

Urahara put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "He's all yours, Ichigo. I think the two captains fighting the Captain Commander are going to need some extra help, so Yoruichi, Soifon, and I are going over to assist them.'

Ichigo nodded. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."

The three soul reapers in question flash-stepped away. Kenpachi smirked as he turned towards Uryu, Renji, Chad, Orihime, and Mayuri.

"What about you scrubs? You all just going to sit there and watch?" he asked.

"Actually, yes," Mayuri responded. "A human soul reaper against a captain? This could get very interesting."

Suddenly, a soul reaper flash-stepped behind the group. Lieutenant Sasakibe drew his zanpakuto.

"You all will also have me to contend with, I'm afraid," the silver-haired man said.

"Chad, Orihime, Uryu. We can handle this guy," Renji said as he drew Zabimaru. He glanced at Ichigo. "Good luck, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled but didn't take his eyes off Zaraki. "Thanks, but I won't be needing it."

Zaraki and Ichigo then flash-stepped away from the group, and Byakuya and Harukaze followed suit.

The two Kuchikis reemerged on a more isolated section of Sokyoku Hill, though they were still not too far away from the other battles.

Byakuya raised his sword once more. "This is your final chance to come to your senses. If you refuse, then I will not hold back."

"Why are you doing this?" Haru demanded, his usual calm demeanor slipping away. "You were the one who brought Rukia into the Kuchiki Clan. Now you want to kill her?!"

"It is not a matter of what I want," Byakuya replied as his sword began glowing pink. "It is a matter of following the laws of the Soul Society. Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Byakuya's zanpakuto broke off into hundreds of tiny, pink, petal-like blades, and they all rushed towards Haru.

The Fifth Division Captain raised a palm. "Bakudo Number 81: Danku."

A large force field appeared in front of Haru, and Senbonzakura's petals bounced harmlessly off the barrier.

"I see your skill in kido has improved," Byakuya observed.

"That's not all that's improved," Haru said as he raised his sword. "Subjugate, Kogane no Kogo."

Haru's zanpakuto glittered for a moment before turning completely gold. Gold dust flitted from the blade when he moved it.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "I see. It has been a while since I have fought against your zanpakuto."

The Kuchiki Clan Head returned the petals to his blade and flash-stepped towards Haru. Byakuya's blade clashed with his cousin's.

Haru managed to block Byakuya's swings, but he noticed that after every strike, Byakuya had been letting loose a few petals. These stray petals cut into Haru, and the new captain was unable to block them from slicing him considering the fact that he was too busy warding off Byakuya's main blade.

However, Byakuya suddenly felt his zanpakuto begin to pull away from his hands, as if it were being attracted by an invisible force. He quickly flash-stepped away from Haru.

The Fifth Division Captain smirked, though he bled from numerous shallow cuts. "Did you already forget, Byakuya? With each strike, my zanpakuto has been shedding golden dust onto your own sword. With your sword coated in my dust, the magnetic power of my zanpakuto can affect it."

Byakuya frowned. _His zanpakuto can attract and repel anything that is coated with the same metal the sword is made out of. It may look like gold, but it is definitely something else._

The pull on Byakuya's zanpakuto became stronger, but the blade soon erupted into a flurry of petals. The pink petals rushed through the air, swirling around Byakuya.

"Fool," Byakuya began. "Did you honestly believe that I suddenly became unaware of your zanpakuto's ability? Once my Senbonzakura's petals are dancing in the air, the wind will blow your golden dust off my sword."

Haru cursed to himself as he felt the magnetic pull disappear. He then watched as Byakuya's Senbonzakura petals rushed towards him. The younger Kuchiki wildly slashed his sword as he fended off the petals that tried to surround him. Though he couldn't magnetize them because they were always moving in the wind, he was able to deflect them as they came into contact with his sword.

Suddenly, the petals returned to Byakuya's sword.

"I see your swordsmanship has also improved," Byakuya noted, his gray eyes cold. "You are now able to defend against my shikai. However…"

Byakuya paused to drop his sword, and Haru grit his teeth as he watched it sink into the ground. Hundreds of pink swords surrounded Byakuya and Harukaze from all sides. The swords began spinning.

"Let's see how you fare against my bankai!" Byakuya shouted as he raised his hand.

About fifteen of the swords scattered into countless petals, far more than Haru could possibly hope to defend against. The sharp, pink tornado descended on Haru and consumed him.

Byakuya watched with satisfaction as Haru was engulfed by Senbonzakura. _The fool. Hopefully he will have learned a lesson from this defeat._

Just as Byakuya was about to call his petals back, the pink storm suddenly exploded outwards, directly in Byakuya's direction. The Sixth Division Captain's eyes widened as he was hit by the flurry of blades.

Byakuya fell to his knees as the petals finally returned to their place on the spinning wall of swords. Blood poured out of numerous wounds on his body, and he struggled to stand back up.

When he got to his feet, he saw a much different version of Haru. The younger Kuchiki's clothes had been ripped in numerous spots, and his body was covered in a thin layer of gold-like metal. His face was a golden skull, and his eyes were glowing red orbs. The gold covering suddenly chipped away, revealing Haru's original body. The only things that remained covered in gold were his forearms, his hands, and his sword.

"So… This is your perfected bankai," Byakuya panted as he got to his feet, trying to ignore the blood streaming from the wounds Senbonzakura had inflicted.

Haru also appeared to be worn out. "Yes. My entire body had just been covered in that gold-like substance, allowing me to escape damage for a moment. When your petals touched my gold skin, they became covered in the dust and I was able to repel them back towards you."

"And since you had more gold on your body in your bankai state, you were able to repel them with more force," Byakuya concluded. "Impressive."

Haru smiled, despite his ragged breathing. It was rare that Byakuya ever complimented him.

"But," Byakuya started as he raised both arms. "You said you were only able to cover yourself in that metal for a moment. You will need much more lasting defense to defeat my Senbonzakura!"

Surprise flashed across Haru's face as more swords turned into petals and rushed towards him. _Shit! I can't cover my entire body in gold again without recharging for a bit!_

The corners of Byakuya's mouth twitched upwards as he watched the petals surround Haru. However, right before the younger Kuchiki was blotted out by Senbonzakura, Haru's golden sword came hurtling at Byakuya at a high speed.

 _He used his gold-covered hands to repel his own sword towards me?_ Byakuya realized as the weapon rushed towards him.

The sword lodged itself in Byakuya's stomach, and the captain was thrown backwards by the impact. He hit the ground with a thud, and the pink swords surrounding the battlefield dissipated as their wielder weakened.

The petals disappeared from around Haru's body, and he sunk to the ground and stained the dirt red with his blood. He turned his head to see Byakuya also on the ground, skewered by Haru's zanpakuto. The gold coating had worn off, but the sword still remained.

"... Still alive, Byakuya?" Haru asked weakly. His whole body stung with pain as warm blood flowed freely.

"... Yes," came the feeble reply.

Harukaze groaned with pain. "I thought you said you weren't going to hold back. You could have easily killed me if you had used a few more petals."

Byakuya paused, then answered hesitantly. "... You held back as well. Your sword wasn't launched at nearly a high enough velocity to strike a fatal blow."

Haru laughed, then coughed up some blood. "So I guess we both didn't want to kill each other."

Byakuya did not reply. He glanced across the hill and saw Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu rushing towards his position. He also saw Ichigo and Kenpachi locked in a furious battle.

 _I suppose it will be you who decides the outcome of this conflict, Ichigo Kurosaki._

* * *

Ichigo's arm vibrated from the shockwave as the orange-haired soul reaper blocked another one of Kenpachi's swings.

"Fight back, you coward!" Zaraki roared.

Ichigo sliced at the captain and made contact. However, to his surprise, Zaraki simply stood there and took the attack. Zangetsu barely managed to cut the wild-eyed captain.

Zaraki looked amused. "... Is that seriously it? That's all you can do?!"

Ichigo leapt backwards and put some distance between them. Urahara had told him a bit about all of the captains, and Ichigo remembered that Kenpachi Zaraki was the only soul reaper in history to become a captain without possessing a shikai or bankai. He also recalled Ikkaku Madarame's warning, and he could see now that the bald shinigami had not exaggerated anything.

 _If I can't beat him up close, I'll fight at a distance,_ Ichigo concluded as his sword began to glow.

"Getsuga… Tensho!" Ichigo shouted as he released a large wave of spirit energy.

The attack slammed into Kenpachi, but once again, the captain stood there and tanked it.

"Now you're making me mad," Kenpachi said. "I didn't expect you to be this fucking weak!"

Kenpachi rushed at Ichigo, his sword raised. Ichigo lifted Zangetsu with both hands in order to block, but when Kenpachi's sword fell, Ichigo experienced an intense burst of pain.

He looked to his left and saw that his arm had been completely cleaved off. Blood spurted out of his shoulder.

Ichigo screamed as the pain hit him even harder than before.

Kenpachi laughed. "What's wrong? You going to let something like that stop you?"

Ichigo struggled to stay conscious, even as the pain and shock slowly overcame his body. _What the fuck… This guy is a monster…!_

His gaze hardened as he remembered why he was here, why he was fighting. He lifted Zangetsu with his remaining arm.

"... Bankai."

Zaraki watched with some interest as Ichigo transformed. The orange-haired shinigami now wore a long, black coat on top of his regular uniform, and the once-large Zangetsu had become slender and black.

"Huh? Is that it?" Kenpachi taunted. "Changing your fucking outfit isn't -"

He suddenly stopped when he noticed that his own left arm was now missing.

Kenpachi's jaw dropped. _When did he…?_

"How does it feel, Kenpachi Zaraki?" Ichigo asked from his position behind the Eleventh Division Captain.

Zaraki turned around in shock, then began grinning madly. "ICHIGO KUROSAKI!"

The violent captain began laughing as he ripped his eyepatch off. A sudden burst of reiatsu exploded from around Kenpachi, and Ichigo narrowed his eyes in confusion.

 _He can see from that eye? And it feels like his power has increased._

Zaraki pointed his zanpakuto at Ichigo. "Now it's time for the real fight to begin!"

Ichigo blocked Kenpachi's slash, then returned fire with a diagonal slash. Red blood seeped out of the captain's wound, but Zaraki didn't show any signs that he even felt the blow.

 _Now that I'm in bankai, I'm much faster and can hit him more,_ Ichigo observed as he slashed at Kenpachi. _But why isn't it doing much damage?_

"My power is much greater than when you managed to cut my arm off," Kenpachi explained as he slashed wildly at Ichigo. "Don't think that this fight is going to be any easier just because you can use bankai!"

Ichigo barely dodged Kenpachi's slash. He then flash-stepped away from the captain, thinking of his next move.

 _My Getsuga Tensho should be stronger now that I'm in bankai…_

Ichigo decided to try it out by firing another at Zaraki, but the captain only blocked it with his blade. The wave of energy crashed into him, but Zaraki appeared mostly unscathed.

"Don't try that same trick on me, Ichigo!" Kenpachi yelled. "Or you'll die!"

Kenpachi flash-stepped in Ichigo's direction, and Ichigo blocked another sword strike from the monstrous captain. Zaraki laughed as he stabbed and sliced at Ichigo, and Ichigo grew more and more frustrated as he dodged and struck back yet never managed to do any significant damage.

Ichigo leapt away again in order to catch his breath. His sword arm was incredibly sore, and his left shoulder continued to throb painfully. _At the rate this is going, I'll run out of energy before Kenpachi bleeds to death._

The thought of Kenpachi's blade piercing Ichigo's body again made him sick. Ichigo couldn't help but feel fear at the prospect of entering into another close-combat engagement with Zaraki.

 _I'll have to fight from afar._

He launched another Getsuga Tensho, and Kenpachi blocked it once more.

"I told you to stop that!" Kenpachi growled. "You'll never win that way!"

Ichigo winced. _He's right. The only way my Getsuga can do any decent damage to him is if I hit him from up close._

However, just as Ichigo was about to get in close once more, his armless shoulder panged, reminding him of the pain. Ichigo felt his hands tremble.

Kenpachi raised an eyebrow as he watched Ichigo. "What's wrong? You scared?"

The Eleventh Division Captain then grit his teeth in anger. "FEAR HAS NO PLACE ON THE BATTLEFIELD!"

Ichigo watched in horror as Kenpachi rushed him.

 _Wait, I'm faster. I can easily dodge this._

Suddenly, Rukia's face appeared in Ichigo's mind, her hopeful eyes looking straight at him. He then saw Ishida's face, along with Renji's. The two stared at him with looks of determination. He saw Captain Harukaze's expectant gaze. He saw his father's proud face when Ichigo insisted on going to the Soul Society to save Rukia.

Ichigo gripped his sword and stood his ground as Kenpachi approached. _Fuck dodging._

"Now that's more like it!" Kenpachi roared.

The captain closed in on Ichigo, and Zaraki laughed as he drove his blade through Ichigo's abdomen. However, a strong sensation of pain permeated through Zaraki's body as well, and the captain looked down to see Ichigo's black sword stuck inside his stomach.

"Getsuga…" Ichigo started. Blood poured out of his mouth. "TENSHO!"

The blade stuck in Kenpachi's stomach began to glow, and a burst of energy exploded out of Zaraki's back. Smoke drifted out of the hole the blast created.

Zaraki fell to the ground, his eyes wide with surprise and elation. A wild grin spread across his face. "Ichigo… Kurosaki…!"

Ichigo watched the captain fall, then collapsed himself. Zaraki's blade was still trapped in his abdomen, and Ichigo could barely breathe. He lost his grip on Zangetsu, and his vision faded to black.

* * *

Shunsui dodged the wall of flame that came hurtling towards him. He let out a low whistle as he watched it explode past him.

"You alright, Captain Kyoraku?" Urahara asked.

Shunsui tipped his hat. "Doing great."

Ukitake appeared beside them via flash-step. "I don't know how much longer we can hold him off."

"Yeah, I'm afraid Old Man Yama might start getting serious soon," Shunsui agreed.

Urahara watched as Soifon and Yoruichi flitted around the Captain Commander and his flames.

"Then we might have to get serious as well," the blond shopkeeper said.

Shunsui sighed. "I was hoping we could avoid that."

The three soul reapers froze as they felt a massive reiatsu suddenly appear. The glanced in the direction of Yamamoto and saw a blade sticking into his shoulder.

"What the…?" Shunsui wondered.

When the flames cleared, the wielder of the sword revealed himself to be Sosuke Aizen.

Yamamoto grabbed the tip of the blade and broke it off. Aizen pulled the rest of the sword out and flash-stepped away from the Captain Commander.

"Sosuke Aizen," Yamamoto stated. "Why are you alive?"

Aizen smiled as he glanced at his broken, bloodied sword.

"Y-you died, though!" Soifon insisted.

"Hm? Oh, you mean the 'murder'? That was nothing but an illusion," Aizen replied.

"An illusion?" Urahara repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

Aizen ignored him. "Central 46 has been eliminated. I killed them a few weeks ago, actually."

"What?" Yamamoto asked.

"It was I who ordered Rukia Kuchiki's execution. I knew it would stir up trouble and confusion in the Seireitei, so I made it seem like Central 46 wanted her dead."

"Impossible!" Yamamoto retaliated. "I went to Central 46's chambers and received the orders myself!"

"Yes I remember that," Aizen replied simply.

"It was an illusion," Urahara interrupted, and everyone turned to face him. "Aizen mentioned he 'made it seem like Central 46' wanted Rukia dead, so that means he conjured up the orders and the image to fool the Captain Commander. He also said earlier that his murder was an illusion, even though people clearly saw a body. My guess is that his zanpakuto has the ability to create illusions."

"Sosuke Aizen's zanpakuto is a water-type zanpakuto," Soifon insisted. "It can't create illusions!"

"No, he is correct," Aizen admitted. "The appearance of Kyoka Suigetsu being a water zanpakuto was merely another illusion."

Aizen looked at Urahara with an amused expression. "Perhaps it was careless of me to reveal all that information in your presence, Kisuke Urahara."

Urahara smiled. "Perhaps."

Two more reiatsus suddenly flashed into existence, and the group turned around to see Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen.

"You two?" Shunsui asked as he wondered why they had randomly turned up.

"Gin and Kaname have been working for me this whole time," Aizen explained. "I wanted the Oken, and now I have got it."

The Captain Commander's eyes widened. "So… That is why you stabbed me."

"Yes. Your blood was the final ingredient in activating the Oken."

Yamamoto's sword burst into flames. "Then I cannot let you leave here alive!"

A huge blast of fire crashed into Aizen, burning him to ashes.

"Impressive."

Yamamoto turned around in shock and saw Aizen standing behind him.

"Another illusion?" the Captain Commander said softly.

An yellow beam suddenly engulfed Aizen, and he began floating upwards. The beam led to a crack in the sky, clearly a portal to another dimension. Twin beams also surrounded Gin and Kaname, and the two began drifting into the sky as well.

"Is that… The Garganta?" Urahara wondered.

"You mean to say Sosuke Aizen has joined forces with the Hollows?" Ukitake asked.

Aizen smiled as he drifted off into the portal.

"I will be in Hueco Mundo if you need me," he said just before the portal closed. "Please, feel free to drop by."


	6. A Tenuous Peace

Ichigo's eyes snapped open. He found himself lying in a bed in a room he did not recognize, and his whole body ached. He grimaced as he recalled his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki, and he reluctantly turned left, internally bracing himself for the sight of empty space where his arm should have been.

However, he was shocked to see that his left arm had been reattached. "... How?"

"The Fourth Division may be a bunch of pussies, but they're the best healers around."

Ichigo whirled around to see Kenpachi Zaraki sitting on the bed next to him. The Eleventh Division Captain was also wrapped in bandages, and his arm had been reattached as well.

"Kenpachi…? Where are we?" Ichigo asked.

Zaraki frowned. "Are you an idiot? I just told you the Fourth Division healed us, so where the fuck do you think we are?"

 _So I'm still in the Soul Society… Wait... Rukia! And everyone else, what happened to them?_

Just as Ichigo was about to voice his concerns, Rukia Kuchiki entered the room.

She smiled softly at Ichigo as she sat down on the unoccupied bed next to his. "Glad to see you're finally awake, Ichigo."

"Rukia! You're alright," Ichigo said with relief.

"Yeah. Everyone else is fine as well. Luckily, there were no serious casualties," she replied.

Ichigo smiled at that, but something felt off. "Wait, why did they let you go? Did Urahara and Yoruichi defeat the Captain Commander?"

"Hmph! As if they could ever even dream of doing so," Genryusai Yamamoto said as he entered the room.

Rukia stood up and saluted hurriedly, but Ichigo and Kenpachi just stared dumbly.

"The reason why Rukia Kuchiki was allowed to leave," Yamamoto began, "was because the order for her execution was found to be invalid. It turned out that Sosuke Aizen had betrayed the Soul Society and set everything up."

Ichigo barely understood any of that, so Yamamoto and Rukia spent the next ten minutes explaining the situation to him. When he had finally heard everything, Ichigo wondered what the next course of action would be.

"Aizen has the Oken," Yamamoto told him. "He is our top priority. We must prevent him from entering the Royal Palace at all costs."

"Yeah, you said all that already," Ichigo pointed out. "How do we stop him?"

"'We'?" The Captain Commander asked with a hint of amusement in his tone.

Ichigo hadn't even considered the possibility that he wouldn't fight with the Soul Society. The past few days he spent training and fighting had been extremely dangerous and taxing, but they had also filled Ichigo with more excitement and purpose than he had ever felt before in his life.

"You don't want my help?" Ichigo asked. "I did beat a captain, after all."

"We're having a rematch as soon as we get out of the hospital!" Zaraki protested.

Yamamoto shook his head. "It is not that we do not want your help. I was simply surprised that you are so willing to help your former enemies."

Ichigo shrugged. "It's not like you guys are evil or anything. Just misled."

"And we have you to thank for helping reveal Aizen's true motives," Rukia said. "I couldn't imagine going after him without you, Ichigo."

Yamamoto rapped his staff against the floor. "That settles it, then. Ichigo Kurosaki, you are now officially part of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. You have earned the title of 'Substitute Soul Reaper.'"

"Substitute Soul Reaper?" Ichigo repeated. He smiled. "Nice ring to it."

Just then, Uryu entered the room. The dark-haired quincy seemed surprised to see Ichigo awake.

"So you're finally up, Kurosaki," Uryu stated.

"What do you mean by 'finally'? Just how long was I out?"

"Three days," Rukia told him. "The kido healing of the Fourth Division can do some amazing things, but it does require extra rest."

Yamamoto then began walking out. "I have other matters to attend to. Quincy, finish explaining everything to the boy."

Uryu nodded politely as the Captain Commander left, then turned to Ichigo.

"The Soul Society has been pretty busy while you were asleep. The Captain Commander actually sent some of the captains to Hueco Mundo to investigate Sosuke Aizen."

"We can get to Hueco Mundo from here?" Ichigo asked, surprised.

"Mr. Urahara is the one who opened up the Garganta, though he had a little help from that freak Mayuri," Uryu explained. "Anyway, that is what the Captain Commander wanted me to talk to you about. When the captains went there, they found that Sosuke Aizen had assembled an army of hollows to fight for them. What they also found was that this army is headed by ten generals known as the Espada."

 _An army of hollows?_ Ichigo found the possibility of such a thing to be very low. From what he had seen, hollows usually acted alone and for no reason other than to satiate their appetite for souls.

"These 'Espada' are composed of vasto lordes, a special class of hollows who are similar in size and appearance to humans. They are very powerful," Uryu continued. "On top of that, those vasto lordes have had their masks removed, allowing them to gain even more power. They are called 'arrancars.'"

"That sounds great!" Kenpachi shouted. "Regular hollows are too weak anyway."

Uryu glanced at Zaraki with disdain. "Don't get too excited. Each one of the Espada are said to have more power than even a captain in the Gotei Thirteen."

 _That's only going to make him more excited,_ Ichigo thought as he saw Zaraki grinning in anticipation.

"So, Ichigo?" Rukia asked him. "What do you think about all this?"

Ichigo blinked. "What do I think? I think we should just go to Hueco Mundo and kick Aizen's ass as soon as possible."

Uryu sighed. "You clearly haven't been listening. At our current strength, we cannot defeat Aizen."

Ichigo smirked. "'Our'? I thought you hated soul reapers, Ishida."

Uryu frowned. "I do. The only reason I am continuing to help them is because of another matter. The existence of several other quincies has been confirmed."

"Really? Where?" Ichigo asked. He had thought that Uryu and his father were the only two quincies left.

"Certain spots around the Soul Society," Uryu replied. "The Captain Commander has also sent captains to those spots as well, though they only left yesterday and so have not returned yet."

"Interesting," Ichigo mused. "Are they friends or foes?"

Uryu shook his head. "We don't know, but I spoke to the Captain Commander about it. He has a strong suspicion that he might know the leader of these quincy, and he also believes that they are probably hostile."

"Great, so now we have Aizen _and_ the quincies to deal with," Ichigo lamented, ignoring Kenpachi's excited cheer.

"The good news is that the quincies and the arrancar both want to attack the Royal Palace, so they may end up fighting each other," Rukia interjected.

Uryu nodded. "True, but we can't rely on that possibility."

The dark-haired quincy looked straight into Ichigo's eyes. "One thing is for certain: we have to get stronger. All of us."

* * *

Sosuke Aizen sipped a cup of tea as he looked out the window of his palace in Hueco Mundo. The outside landscape was mostly barren, and a vast desert stretched under the night sky.

 _Hauntingly beautiful,_ Aizen thought to himself amusedly.

A knocking sound rapped against the door to his room, and Aizen told the visitor to come in.

A slender, pink-haired arrancar entered the room. His garb was similar to that of Aizen's, and he wore a pair of sleek glasses. He bowed slightly as he stepped into the room.

"Lord Aizen."

Aizen turned around. "Ah, Szayelaporro. Did you finish the task I assigned you?"

The arrancar adjusted his glasses. "I did. But before I begin with that, you should know that Hueco Mundo was recently infiltrated by three shinigami captains."

Aizen smiled. "I am aware of that. They came to observe our defenses, undoubtedly."

Szayelaporro seemed a bit surprised, but he quickly composed himself. "I see. Is there a reason why we let them leave here alive?"

Sosuke Aizen took another sip of his tea, then set the cup down on a nearby table. "Not particularly."

The pink-haired arrancar nodded, but he knew that Aizen was hiding something. _Well, if he doesn't want to tell me, I suppose there is nothing I can do about it._

"About that other matter," Szayelaporro started as he changed subjects, "I have determined that the reiatsu we observed in the Soul Society did indeed belong to quincies. It was over a ninety percent match for most of them."

Aizen put his hands in his pockets and turned back to the window. The full moon was the only source of light over Hueco Mundo's vast desert.

"There was also a quincy with that group of invaders who came from Earth," Aizen stated.

"Yes, Uryu Ishida. We have plenty of data on him and his father, but these new quincies are unknown entities," Szayelaporro said.

The room was silent for a full minute, and Szayelaporro fidgeted with his glasses awkwardly. He was about to ask if he could take his leave, but Aizen suddenly spoke.

"Yhwach."

Szayelaporro raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Aizen turned around, his calm eyes tinged with a hint of excitement. "Yhwach, or Juha Bach. Look through your databases for anything mentioning his name. Come back with a full report on him once you are finished."

Szayelaporro had never heard of the name before, but he was glad to finally be released from Aizen's company. Szayelaporro Granz operated on data and evidence-backed hypotheses, but Sosuke Aizen was a mystery he could never hope to unravel.

The pink-haired arrancar bowed. "Yes, my lord."

When Aizen was alone again, he smiled to himself. _This could be more interesting than I thought._

Aizen sat down on his chair which faced towards the window. He picked up a book that rested on a nearby table and opened it up, searching for where he had last left off. Just as he had found the page, another person knocked on his door.

"Come in," he said. He shut his book and placed it back on the table.

"Good afternoon, Captain Aizen," Gin's slithery voice greeted. "Or, since it's always dark here, good night."

Aizen didn't bother getting up. Instead, he rested his head in an open palm as he stared out the window. "Can I help you, Gin?"

"Oh my, what a beautiful view," Gin said as he walked up to Aizen and glanced out the window.

"Striking, isn't it?" Aizen replied as he stared out the window, his mind somewhere far away from the sands of Hueco Mundo.

"I came to ask about the Royal Palace," Gin finally said. "Now that we have activated the Oken, why are we waiting around here? The Soul Society is only getting stronger the longer we wait."

"The Oken has not been activated," Aizen replied. "We simply possess all the ingredients to activate it. The blood samples have been imbued into the Oken, but it takes a full year for it to truly awaken. It is a safety measure that allows the Royal Palace to prepare for any possible intruders."

Gin's disturbing smile remained unchanged at the news. "That is certainly inconvenient for us."

Aizen smiled. "I suppose."

Gin then turned to leave. "Nothing we can do about that, I guess. I'll see you later, Captain."

Aizen ignored him, his mind still occupied with other thoughts.

 _The Gotei Thirteen, the Espada, the quincies, Ichigo Kurosaki... This will certainly be a lively year._

* * *

Ichigo smiled as he exited Urahara's shop and took in the sight of Karakura Town. He never realized how good it would feel to be back home.

"I told your father that you've returned," Urahara said as he approached. "I also told him about our next course of action."

"And he agreed to it?" Ichigo asked.

Urahara nodded. "After hearing about your exploits in the Soul Society, I think Isshin has full confidence in your abilities. Not that he ever had any doubts in the first place."

Ichigo grinned. "Great, then let's get going."

"You sure you don't want to visit your family first?" Urahara asked him.

"I'll see them tonight, right?" Ichigo replied.

"True. If that's what you want, then we can start now."

Ichigo followed Urahara through Karakura Town. The rest of Ichigo's friends had gone home, though Uryu mentioned something about training with his father. Yoruichi was still in the Soul Society, but she would be returning soon as well. Rukia had opted to remain in the Soul Society to train, but she promised Ichigo that she would come and visit from time to time.

The two walked in relative silence for a few minutes before they reached a large warehouse. Urahara stopped and put his hands on his hips.

"Well, this is the place," the shopkeeper said.

Ichigo looked it over. It wasn't very impressive. "So your Visored buddies actually live here?"

"It's not as bad as it looks," Urahara insisted. "Come on, let's go inside."

When they entered into the building, Ichigo was even more unimpressed. The place was relatively empty, though it smelled of old concrete and was littered with dust and rubble.

"Doesn't look that much better to me," Ichigo said as he barely avoided stepping on the shards of a broken liquor bottle.

Urahara chuckled. "They live underneath this place. Hachi, open up! We're here!"

A section of the flooring suddenly began to glow yellow, and the ground slid open to reveal a descending stairwell. Ichigo followed Urahara down and entered into a much larger area than the actual building.

Blue skies hung overhead, and Ichigo noticed a moderately large house a few meters in the distance. _This place must be made using the same technique as Urahara's basement._

"Oh, is that him?" a new voice said.

Ichigo snapped out of his thoughts and saw a blond man with a strange bob-style haircut standing before him. He wore a brown dress shirt with a black tie, and he had on black slacks.

"Ichigo, this is Shinji Hirako," Urahara introduced. "Shinji, meet Ichigo Kurosaki, the newest substitute soul reaper."

Shinji grinned. "Substitute soul reaper, huh? Ain't that a strange title."

"So you're the leader of the Visoreds?" Ichigo inquired.

Shinji shrugged. "I guess you could call me that."

Ichigo's expression became serious. "So you know how to awaken your inner hollow?"

Shinji smiled devilishly. "I do. Urahara told me all about you and your hollow powers, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"He did? All he told me was that my dad lost his soul reaper powers because my mother was attacked by a hollow and he had to save her life. Doesn't make much sense, if you ask me."

Shinji waved a hand. "Well, that ain't the full story. To put it shortly, the hollow that attacked your mother was a special kind of hollow, and it imbued some of its spirit energy into your mother's body. When you were born, you cleansed that energy by absorbing it."

The Visored's eyes became darker. "Surely you felt it when you awakened your zanpakuto, no?"

Ichigo nodded uneasily. While he had been fighting Zangetsu in his mind, he had felt a sinister presence watching him the whole time. He mentioned it to Urahara, but the shopkeeper had said that he would explain it later and that it was nothing to worry about.

"Make no mistake," Shinji started, "awakening your inner hollow will make you stronger. However, it could also kill you. If you are unable to control it, you will be consumed by it. The only reason we Visoreds were able to subdue our hollows was thanks to Urahara's help."

Urahara's eyes were hidden behind his hat. "It was me who got you guys into that mess. Don't thank me for that."

Shinji gave him a dismissive smile. "Yeah, yeah, what's done is done. We're here to help Ichigo get stronger, right? And to stop that bastard, Aizen. I always knew he would pull some shit like this."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "You knew Aizen?"

"He was my lieutenant," Shinji replied. "All of us Visoreds used to be captains or lieutenants in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. I am the former captain of the Fifth Division."

"Maybe you guys will be reinstated after helping Ichigo," Urahara chimed in hopefully. "Yoruichi and I were more or less forgiven when we went back. It seems the Soul Society has softened a bit in these past hundred years."

"Nah, we don't need those bastards," Shinji replied lazily. "We've just got a lot of personal connections to this issue, which is why we're even helping in the first place. Besides, Ichigo is like us, and we haven't met another shinigami with a hollow outside of our group before."

"Thanks for agreeing to help me," Ichigo cut in, impatient to get started. "So, when does the training begin?"

Shinji grinned at him again. A dark aura suddenly surrounded him, and a hollow-like mask appeared on his face. Ichigo heard Urahara mutter an 'uh-oh' in the background.

Shinji's voice came from behind the mask, slightly distorted.

"Your training begins right fuckin' now."

* * *

Harukaze Kuchiki groaned as he got up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He sat atop an isolated, grassy hill that overlooked a portion of the Rukongai. He cursed as he realized he had fallen asleep on the hill instead of going back to his shitty motel like he was supposed to.

 _I can't believe I fell asleep just by looking at the stars last night_ , he thought as he rubbed his sore back.

He had spent most of last night lying on his back and gazing at the flurry of stars in the sky. The Rukongai was a poor district, so it did not have nearly the same amount of air pollution the Seireitei did. Therefore, the stars were much more visible from the surrounding areas.

 _Still, I'm here to hunt for quincies, not to look at the constellations._

Quincy reiatsu had been spotted atop the hill on numerous occasions, so he had been dispatched to the location in order to see what he could find. He had surveyed the hill and its surrounding areas for four days straight, yet he couldn't find a single trace of quincy spirit energy.

He guessed that the quincy had sensed his presence and been scared off, but it was still a lapse in judgement to fall asleep on the hill. He most likely would have awakened had anyone approached, but these quincy supposedly had power equalling that of a captain, so he didn't want to give them any advantages should he run into them.

Haru pulled out his phone and saw a new message from Captain Hitsugaya.

" _No sign of any quincies at my location,"_ the text read. " _I am heading back to the Seireitei. Alert me if anything comes up."_

Toshiro, Haru, and Captain Kyoraku had all been sent to investigate the supposed quincy reiatsu, but so far they had found nothing. Captain Kyoraku had returned to the Seireitei yesterday, and Toshiro was leaving today. Haru supposed that he should give up as well.

 _I doubt any quincy would be stupid enough to return after their hiding spot had been discovered,_ he thought to himself.

He sat on the hill for a few more minutes and looked down at the Rukongai. The people were smaller than ants from atop the hill, and the din from the marketplace barely even reach his ears.

 _It's very peaceful up here._ After all that had happened in the past few weeks, this change in pace was much needed.

Haru's gray eyes darkened as he realized that the peace would soon fade. Sosuke Aizen was amassing an army of powerful arrancars, and it was only a matter of time before they invaded the Royal Palace.

He clenched his fist. _I should have killed that pink arrancar bastard when I had the chance._

However, he wondered if he could have even pulled it off. According to the information the captains who went to Hueco Mundo supplied, the top ten arrancar had powers that eclipsed that of the captains. He didn't know if the pink arrancar he had seen was an Espada, but judging from his reiatsu, it sure seemed like it.

He grew angrier when he remembered how Aizen had manipulated the Soul Society and almost killed Rukia, all for a distraction. _And they say Gin was the one who helped start it all…_

He still had trouble believing the fact that Gin Ichimaru was on Sosuke Aizen's side. The Third Division Captain had always been a bit strange, but Haru would have never pegged him for a traitor. Gin _had_ been close to Aizen, however, considering their former relationship as lieutenant and captain.

Haru got up and flexed his muscles. _Well, I won't change anything just sitting here._

He replied to Toshiro's text and said that he had also found nothing, and that he was returning to the Seireitei. Instead of wasting his time searching for quincies that may or may not even exist, he thought it better to begin training for the inevitable showdown with Aizen's arrancar army.

He turned to leave, but his heartbeat jumped when he saw a woman sitting on one of the rocks on the hill. She had long, black hair under a white cap and wore the same type of uniform that Ichigo's quincy friend had on. She also had a bow in her hand, and her blue eyes were fixed on Haru.

 _Fuck,_ he thought as he fumbled for his sword. He pulled it out and glared at the quincy.

The woman smirked at him. "I could have shot you through the neck before you even turned around, shinigami."

"Then why didn't you?" Haru asked as he calmed down and readied his sword.

The quincy spared his zanpakuto a brief glance. "You're a captain. A simple Heilig Pfeil wouldn't have done much."

"You made a fatal mistake by coming back here."

The woman smiled at him, clearly unconcerned with his words. "We were given orders not to engage any soul reapers. But when I saw you sitting there like an idiot, I just couldn't resist."

Haru grit his teeth. "Quincy scum like you dares to call me an idiot? Do you know who I am?"

"Not really," she replied as she hopped off the rock. "And I don't really care."

She pointed her bow at him. "Even so… I'd love to add you to my list of handsome men that I've killed, though."

"Subjugate, Kogane no Kogo," Harukaze said as his sword flashed gold. "I'll have your head, quincy."

She grinned. "It's Bambietta, not 'quincy.'"

"Harukaze Kuchiki," Haru introduced. Only one of them was going to survive this fight, so he saw no harm in telling her his name.

"Haru, huh?" she said as she lowered her bow. She smirked at him again. "It was nice meeting you, Captain Kuchiki."

She suddenly flashed out of existence, and Haru stood there with his sword still in hand.

 _What the hell?_

He whirled around, searching his surroundings. _There is no possible way she possesses a hirenkyaku like that. Her spirit energy completely disappeared._

After a few more minutes of frantically looking around, Haru concluded that she had disappeared, most likely through a similar technique he had heard Sosuke Aizen used to escape the Soul Society.

He returned his sword to his sheath. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Hitsugaya.

" _Disregard my last message. I may be a bit late."_


	7. The Edge of It All

_A/N: Damn, it's been over a year since I last updated this story. I doubt anyone is still reading this, but I was bored today and decided to revisit this for some reason. It's funny because a year has passed since Ch 6 both in the story and in real life... This chapter was actually written a year ago as well, so all I did now was edit it. Well, either way, if anyone somehow stumbles upon this, thanks for reading, and enjoy, I guess._

* * *

 _~ One year later ~_

* * *

"Stop running, you coward!" Kensei shouted from the sidelines as he watched Ichigo Kurosaki dodge another cero.

Ichigo hid behind a rock, only to have it destroyed by Hiyori's cero. He cursed and began running again.

"Fight back, Ichigo," Shinji lazily called out from the sofa he was sprawled out on.

"Gah!" Ichigo shouted as a cero exploded a few inches away from him. "I can't fight this crazy bitch!"

Shinji sighed. "You know that's only going to make her madder."

Sure enough, Hiyori sent a much bigger cero towards Ichigo, forcing the orange-haired soul reaper to literally dive out of harm's way.

"Is he always like this during training?" Rukia asked from where she stood next to Kensei.

Shinji yawned. "Pretty much."

"God damn it, Ichigo!" Kensei shouted. "Hollowfy right fucking now!"

"Fine," Ichigo muttered as he ran a hand over his face, drawing out his mask.

Rukia watched with interest as Ichigo's speed seemed to double. The substitute shinigami evaded a cero and turned to face Hiyori. The two masked combatants began firing ceros towards each other, reddish-black beams that obliterated the surroundings.

"He _has_ gotten better," Lisa observed as she walked over to where Shinji, Rukia, and Kensei were. "Remember how he was a year ago?"

"Yeah, but is he strong enough to fight Aizen? Even back then, we always used to make fun of Shinji for having a lieutenant that was stronger than he was," Kensei said.

Shinji glared at Kensei. "For your information, Sosuke was not stronger than me. Anyway, Ichigo can now hollowfy for ten minutes, which is pretty damn good. Just because he's taking it easy in this practice match doesn't mean he's weak."

Kensei frowned. "Let's hope so."

After a few more minutes of fighting, Ichigo and Hiyori removed their masks and made their way over to a table that had been set up next to the training field. They grabbed bottles of water and gulped them down while simultaneously hurling insults at each other. Ichigo dumped some of his water bottle onto his head in an attempt to cool himself off. He then walked over to the sidelines and smiled when he saw Rukia.

"How long have you been here? I thought you were supposed to stop by next week," he said.

"I was, but there's been a change in plans," Rukia replied. "You're wanted in the Soul Society."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean? Has Aizen made his move?"

"No, but it's been a year. According to the Captain Commander, that is how long it takes for the Oken to activate," Rukia explained.

Ichigo ran a hand through his wet hair. "Fuck. I didn't realize how close we were cutting it."

"Don't worry," Shinji said as he got up from the sofa and stretched. "There's no way Aizen will attack without us knowing."

"Yeah…" Ichigo then turned to Shinji. "Give me the truth. Am I strong enough to fight Aizen?"

Shinji looked thoughtful. "I don't know… You've definitely improved, and I'd say you're just as good as any of us at hollowfying. It's hard to say how powerful Aizen and his Espada are compared to you, though."

Ichigo nodded. "I guessed as much. Hey, Rukia, how's your training going? Every time you've come here, you've refused to talk about it. Now that we're getting closer to the deadline, you can tell me, right?"

Rukia frowned at him. "You make it seem like I didn't want to talk about my training. You've just never asked."

Ichigo scratched his head. "Really? My bad."

Rukia couldn't help but smile. "Anyway, my training has gone pretty well. Haru has been helping me with my basic techniques, and my brother has been teaching me how to use bankai."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "You can use bankai?"

"Not yet," Rukia hurriedly corrected, "but I'm getting there. It's why they promoted me to lieutenant, you know."

"You bring up your promotion every time you get the chance, huh?" Ichigo noted. "The last time you visited you made me treat you to breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a 'congratulations.'"

"Shut up," Rukia playfully replied. "But you should really get to the Soul Society as soon as possible."

Shinji walked up and put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. He grinned at Rukia. "Don't worry, Soul Reaper. Ichigo has completed his training here at the Visored Academy."

"What about us?" Hiyori demanded as she came up to the group. "Are we just going to sit here on our asses when Ichigo goes to fight the arrancars?"

Rukia didn't know if the question was directed at her, and if it was, she definitely didn't know how to respond to it. From her experience, the Visoreds were all nice and helpful, but she doubted the Soul Society would feel the same way about them.

Thankfully, Shinji answered instead.

"If the Soul Society wants our help, then they'll ask for it," the blond Visored said. "They know where we live."

Hiyori frowned, then spared a quick glance at Rukia before walking off. "Whatever."

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, Ichigo," Shinji then said. "Good luck with whatever the Soul Society wants you for."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. And thanks for all your help."

"Ah, whatever," Shinji said dismissively. "Just kick Aizen's ass for us, alright?"

Ichigo smirked. "Got it."

* * *

Sosuke Aizen calmly strolled into the main dining hall of Las Noches. Seated at the long table at the center of the room were the ten Espada. Aizen took his seat at the head of the table, and all of the eyes turned to face him.

"Good morning," he greeted. "The Oken has awakened."

None of the Espada said anything, but their faces showed emotions ranging anywhere from pure excitement to bored apathy.

"This means that we can commence our invasion into the Royal Palace," Aizen explained. "However, as I am sure you all know, the Soul Society will not allow us to pass peacefully. The Oken can only be used from within the Seireitei, so that is a large problem for us."

"I'm sure the key will work just fine even if we level the Seireitei," the blue-haired Grimmjow Jeagerjaques said.

Aizen smiled. "Yes, I would agree with that. However, that is not an easy task to accomplish."

"Are you saying we can't beat the soul reaper captains?" Yammy asked from his place at the opposite end of the table.

"No, simply that it will be difficult," Aizen clarified. "Therefore, I would like to propose an alternative plan."

He paused as a few attendants entered the room and set a cup of tea in front of each of the Espada.

After taking a sip from his cup, Aizen continued.

"The job of the soul reapers is to protect humans from hollows. Therefore, if the Espada were to attack the humans, the Gotei Thirteen would be forced to defend them."

"So we're going to attack the World of the Living now?" Grimmjow asked, his voice tinged with frustration. "I thought we were supposed to destroy the Soul Society!"

"Patience, Grimmjow," Aizen cautioned. "You will still be able to fight to your heart's content. The Soul Society will undoubtedly send captains to subdue you."

"And I assume you will be going to the Soul Society to activate the Oken?" Ulquiorra spoke up.

Aizen nodded. "Gin and I will go to the Soul Society while the Espada distract the captains. Kaname will lead you all as you enter into the human world."

Grimmjow muttered something under his breath, but Aizen ignored it.

"A couple more things," Aizen continued. "Number one, we can confirm that a group of quincies has been operating in the Soul Society. Their leader is Yhwach, a powerful quincy who had fought the Captain Commander Genryusai Yamamoto a thousand years ago and lost. We expect that they also desire to go to the Royal Palace."

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes in a rare show of emotion. "How powerful are they?"

Aizen smiled. "Very."

"We should wipe them out now so that they do not interfere with our plans," Zommari said.

"It isn't worth it," Aizen replied. "If they do decide to attack while our operation is underway, they will also have the soul reapers to contend with."

Grimmjow got up from his seat and yawned. "If that's all, I'm leaving."

"One last thing," Aizen said. "I am concerned about the human soul reaper known as Ichigo Kurosaki. Based on our surveillance, it appears that he has achieved hollowfication, just like our Visored friends."

Grimmjow began listening attentively, and Aizen smirked to himself.

"This Ichigo Kurosaki could prove troublesome," Aizen warned. "It is likely that his power may very well exceed that of a captain's."

"Should we eliminate him?" Ulquiorra asked.

"No. He is a very interesting test subject that I've had for a while now, and I would like to see how he grows. The boy lives in Karakura Town at the moment, but he may be heading to the Soul Society soon."

Grimmjow's expression changed for a split second when Ichigo's location was mentioned, and Aizen did not miss it. The former captain suppressed a smirk.

 _Now that I've mentioned how powerful Ichigo is and that I do not want him to be eliminated, it is inevitable that Grimmjow will go after him,_ Aizen thought to himself. _This will prove to be an interesting test of Ichigo Kurosaki's skill._

"Yeah, whatever," Grimmjow said, clearly attempting to convince Aizen that he had no interest in the matter. "Can we go now?"

Aizen wore a smug expression. "You may."

* * *

Harukaze watched the people of the Rukongai scurry about from atop the grassy hill. Though he had been born into a noble family and had known a life of luxury for years, he had a sort of morbid fascination with the poor. He liked to think that he was just curious, but he knew it was actually because it gave him a sense of superiority to watch those who were struggling, which in turn made him disgusted with himself.

 _The curse of being a Kuchiki,_ he thought. Almost everyone in his family was arrogant and pompous. The only one he could think of who didn't share those traits was Rukia, and that was simply because she had been born into poverty.

He thought of Rukia and how she had been promoted to lieutenant. Considering the fact that he was the main person who trained her, he was proud to see her advance in the ranks. Byakuya was a bit apprehensive at the promotion, but Haru eventually convinced him that it would be good for her. Byakuya had told both Rukia and him about Rukia's true identity as Hisana's sister, and he had also told them why he was so intent on following the rules of the Soul Society. The night before Byakuya's parents had died on a mission, they had an intense argument with their son about Hisana's low birth and how Byakuya was breaking the laws and customs of the Soul Society by marrying her. When his parents never came back from that assignment, Byakuya vowed to himself not to bend the rules ever again.

 _Still, Byakuya has changed a lot in the year since Rukia's rescue._ Though the Kuchiki Clan Head was still quiet, cold, and arrogant, he did seem to be opening up to his family more.

Harukaze himself, on the other hand, did not change much over the past year. His black hair grew a little longer and he swapped out his captain's haori for a new one with gold trimming his mother had specially made for him and Byakuya ("The Kuchikis must differentiate themselves from the 'regular' captains!"), but other than that, he was basically the same as he was back then.

He shifted his attention back to the city below, and he blinked as he saw the black uniforms of a squad of soul reapers among the masses. The Rukongai was the most crime-ridden area of the Soul Society, so a patrol like that wasn't uncommon. _Good thing they're too far away to sense me up here._

A powerful reiatsu suddenly flared behind him.

"You're a bit late today," he stated.

"I have other things to do besides meeting with you," Bambietta said as she appeared.

He turned around and smirked. "You make it sound like you don't enjoy seeing me every week."

She glared at him, but otherwise said nothing. She stood beside him on top of the hill.

"It's been a year since Aizen left with the Oken," Haru finally said.

Bambietta looked at him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Haru sat down on the soft grass. The wind tussled his black hair. "Isn't that what you quincies are after? The Oken?"

She sat down beside him, her blue eyes uneasy. "I never told you that."

"I know you didn't. Our Captain Commander did."

Bambietta scoffed. "And just how would he know what we want?"

"He seems to know Yhwach fairly well," Haru said.

Surprise flashed across the quincy's face, and Haru laughed.

"That expression is very cute," he teased.

She frowned at him. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"You're also cute when you're angry."

"Shut up!"

The two sat in silence for a bit. After their first encounter, Haru had stayed at the top of the hill, waiting for her to return so he could kill her. He had given her his name, and though that information would have been easy for any regular person to find, he didn't like the fact that she had tricked him into divulging it. He waited for a few hours before she finally returned, though she didn't appear hostile. She asked him why he was still waiting there, and Haru suddenly didn't feel like fighting. Ever since then, the two had met at the top of the hill every week.

"... The Wandenreich will invade the Soul Society soon," Bambietta said, breaking the peaceful silence.

Now it was Haru's turn to be surprised. They normally never shared information like that with each other.

"Why are you telling me that?" he asked.

She shrugged lightly. "I'm sure your Captain Commander came to that same conclusion already."

That was true enough. "Any idea when?"

She sent another glare at him. "As if I would tell you that. Besides, I don't even know all the details."

"Oh, well," he said as he slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. The quincy kept on glaring at him but made no move to separate herself.

"What are you going to do about Sosuke Aizen?" Bambietta asked.

"We wait for him to come to us, then we destroy him," he answered. "Once we finish him, we'll come after you quincies."

She smirked at him. "I was expecting a serious answer, not a joke."

"Oh, fuck off," he replied.

The slight breeze felt refreshing against his face, and the quincy's body fit perfectly next to his. He wished he could stay there for the rest of the day.

"So I guess your people will wait for the conclusion of the war with the hollows and then make your move," Haru supposed. "That would make the most sense. All you would have to do is finish off the weaker side."

"I told you I don't know the details."

He played with a lock of her black hair. "Sure, whatever… By the way, do all quincies wear that uniform?"

Bambietta looked a bit thrown off by the sudden change in topic. She tugged at the white material.

"What, this? All the Sternritter wear something like it. Well, most of them don't wear the skirt, of course."

Haru raised an eyebrow. "Sternritter?"

She grimaced. "I probably shouldn't have told you that. Damn it."

"So I'm guessing they are the quincies' group of elite soldiers, similar to the Soul Society's captains," Haru figured. "Don't feel too bad. We already knew they had to have something like that."

"Don't compare us to your captains," Bambietta protested. "We're much more powerful."

He laughed. "Well, you've got better uniforms, that's for sure. I remember going down to the World of the Living while wearing a Waffen SS uniform, which is kind of similar to yours. Unfortunately, it turned out that people didn't take too kindly to a 'Nazi sympathizer,' so I almost got thrown in jail."

She put her chin on her fist, her expression a bit confused. "Who are the Nazis again?"

"Wow, you don't seem to know much about human history," Haru observed. "Where exactly do you live, anyway?"

"None of your business!"

Haru squeezed her shoulder. "Okay, don't get so mad about it. It's not as if you're going to invite me over, right?"

She crossed her arms. "Not even in your dreams."

The captain grinned at her frustration. He grabbed her hat and rubbed her head playfully, messing up her hair. She growled and smacked him as she took her white cap back.

"Do that again and I'll kill you," she warned as she tried to fix her hair.

"Stop being so easy to tease, then," he responded as he rubbed his sore jaw.

Bambietta glared at him as she put her cap back on and stood up.

Haru grabbed her leg. "You're leaving already?"

"I told you, I have other things I need to do," she said as she turned to leave. "I'll see you next week."

The gray-eyed captain watched as she disappeared into thin air again. _I still don't know how she does that._

Haru lay back down on the soft grass, a small smile on his face.

 _One day, we'll be enemies. But for now…_

He was snapped out of his pleasant thoughts when he remembered what day it was. He hurriedly pulled out his phone and checked the time.

 _Shit. I forgot about the captain's meeting._

Harukaze got to his feet and flash-stepped back towards the direction of the Seireitei. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, too fast for most regular people to see.

Despite his rush, when he finally got to the First Division's meeting hall, he realized he was five minutes late. He cursed under his breath as he reluctantly pushed open the large, ornate doors.

All the other captains were already lined up, and they turned to stare at him when he entered. Embarrassed, he quickly made his way to the empty spot besides Byakuya and Unohana, the former of which glared at him when he arrived.

"Now that we are all here," the Captain Commander started, "we may begin. As you all know, one year has passed since Sosuke Aizen left the Soul Society with the Oken. Because of that, we expect that he will make his move soon."

"Let's hit him first," Zaraki declared. "A preemptive strike!"

Yamamoto ignored him. Even Haru was used to Zaraki's interruptions by now.

"Aizen will need to use the Oken from within the Seireitei, so he will undoubtedly come to us," Yamamoto continued. "Therefore, all we can do is fortify our defenses and wait. You all have been training diligently for the past year, and I am confident that the Thirteen Court Guard Squads can stand up to the Arrancar Army."

The Captain Commander paused to clear his throat, then spoke again.

"One more thing. I would like to enlist the help of substitute soul reaper Ichigo Kurosaki in this fight. For the past year, he has been acting as the shinigami representative in Karakura Town while simultaneously training with the group known as the Visoreds."

Shunsui looked up. "He's been training with the Visoreds?"

"Yes," Yamamoto confirmed, though the old soul reaper didn't look too pleased about it. "I am sure most of you are aware of the circumstances of Ichigo Kurosaki's birth and the sacrifice Isshin Shiba made. Therefore, it is only natural that Ichigo seek out those who are similar to him."

"Alright!" Kenpachi shouted. "That means that he won't be as weak next time I face him!"

"What are you talking about, Kenpachi?" Toshiro Hitsugaya said from beside the large man. "Ichigo Kurosaki almost killed you the last time you fought."

"At any rate," Yamamoto interrupted. "I have sent Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki to fetch him from the World of the Living. However, I fear that Sosuke Aizen may also have his eye on Ichigo. Therefore, I would also like to send two captains to escort him back in case something unexpected occurs."

Kenpachi unsheathed his sword. "Hell yeah! I'm up for it!"

"Put that away, Zaraki. For obvious reasons, you will not be going. I will be sending Captain Harukaze Kuchiki and Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. They are two of the only captains not to have fought Ichigo Kurosaki's group before, so they are the best choices."

Zaraki frowned as he shoved his sword back into its sheath. "Yeah, right. You're just sending them because they're the weakest and least experienced and you don't need them here."

"You're just jealous, you brute," Toshiro said with a smirk.

Kenpachi scowled. "What did you say, brat?"

"Enough!" Yamamoto called out. "I have said all that I needed to. That concludes this -"

"If I may," Mayuri Kurotsuchi interrupted, "I would like to add one more thing."

Yamamoto nodded. "Go ahead, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"From time to time, we have still been picking up quincy spiritual pressures here in the Soul Society," Mayuri began. "However, we have yet to visually confirm any of those sightings. Even so, I believe that they are undoubtedly conducting some sort of surveillance program on us in preparation for their invasion."

Haru stood still and rigid, though he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty as well.

"Therefore, it may be possible that these quincies will start showing themselves soon," the Twelfth Division Captain continued. "Just be aware of that, and be prepared to fight them if located. Any dead or living specimens that you capture should be forwarded to the Research Division. That is all."

"Alright," Yamamoto concluded, "that ends this meeting. Captains Harukaze and Hitsugaya should head to Karakura Town immediately. Everyone else, return to your assigned duties."

* * *

A tall, muscular man with slicked-back black hair and a leather jacket sat on one of the sofas in the dimly-lit room. He held a beer bottle in his hand, and he threw his head back as he finished off the last of the alcoholic beverage. As soon as he set the empty bottle down on the table, a knock came on the door at the opposite side of the room.

"I'll get it," a dark-skinned woman with short hair said as she opened the door.

A lanky man with long, black hair emerged from the other side of the door. He wore a white dress shirt with black overalls attached to his pants. He smiled at the woman as he entered.

"Tsukishima, you're back," the man on the couch noted. "How does it look?"

Tsukishima sat down at one of the chairs near the room's bar. "Not bad. There's a moderately-powerful soul reaper with Ichigo Kurosaki right now, but Urahara is alone in his shop."

"So do we strike now, Kugo?" a teenager dressed in a black coat asked from where he sat on top of a box, his hands busy with a portable gaming system.

Kugo Ginjo, the man on the sofa, nodded. "Yeah, though _we_ aren't doing anything, Yukio. Only Tsukishima and I will be going. Kisuke Urahara is way above the level of anybody the rest of you guys could ever hope to take on."

"What?!" an angry voice protested as a magenta-haired girl stood up from the couch she was lying on. "We're pretty strong too, you know!"

"Riruka, Kugo is probably right in this case," an older man with an eyepatch said from behind the bar as he served Tsukishima a drink. "Kisuke Urahara used to be a captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"Thank you, Giriko," Kugo replied. "At least you understand."

"You sure even you two can handle him?" the dark-skinned woman asked from where she leaned on the wall.

Tsukishima laughed. "Of course we can, Jackie. It's not as if we're going to actually fight him."

Jackie shrugged. "Whatever. But if you two get killed, it affects us as well. You better not fail."

Tsukishima sighed. "All this to get your previous powers back, Ginjo. Is it really worth it?"

Kugo frowned. "Don't you want to see the Soul Society fall? Getting my powers back is how we achieve that."

"Can't we just let Sosuke Aizen destroy them?" Yukio asked.

"No," Kugo said, standing up. "There's no guarantee that Aizen will even be victorious. Besides, this is a personal matter for us. Don't you guys want to settle it ourselves?"

The room was silent, though everyone agreed with Ginjo. They were all fullbringers, or people who received the power of hollows after having their mothers attacked by hollows while pregnant. The hollow attacks ended up leaving trace amounts of spiritual pressure inside the bodies of the mothers, eventually overwhelming them and poisoning them once they gave birth to the child that absorbed the power and became a fullbringer. Each fullbringer's mother had died during childbirth, leading to harsh and difficult childhoods for most of them.

Kugo Ginjo was the fullbringer who made the most use of his powers. He fought hollows left and right as he grew up, and his skill was eventually noticed by the soul society. However, what the Soul Society also noticed was that Kugo was becoming more and more like a hollow as his powers grew.

Eventually, Kugo even unlocked the power to use the resurreccion ability that most arrancar possess. Since the Soul Society was largely unaware of the existence of arrancars back then, they grew fearful of Kugo's abilities and tried to win him over by appointing him as a substitute soul reaper. At first, Ginjo enjoyed the new title, and he continued to help the soul reapers. He even made numerous trips to the soul society. However, it was on one of those trips that he learned about the true creation of the fullbringers.

What Kugo found out was that the fullbringers were a project created by the Soul Society, and that specially-created hollows were deliberately sent out to attack a select few pregnant women in order to see if it were possible to imbue hollow powers into a human. Furious, Kugo Ginjo confronted the Soul Society about this matter, but he was ridiculed. The Central 46 along with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads told him that what he saw was not real, and that he had made all of it up. As a result, he was stripped of his powers and sent back down to the World of the Living.

Though devoid of his powers, Kugo still possessed the innate ability of fullbring and the enhanced lifespan he gained through the advancement of his hollow powers. He trained for years in order to reawaken his fullbring, recruiting the other members of his gang, Xcution, along the way. He shared his knowledge of the creation of the fullbringers with Xcution, and they all agreed to take down the Soul Society. Despite the fact that Kugo regained his fullbring, it was still nowhere near his previous hollow powers. He concluded that Xcution could not defeat the Soul Society without those powers, and he had been trying to regain them ever since.

He first set his sights on Ichigo Kurosaki. Upon hearing of the new substitute soul reaper, Ginjo immediately began watching Ichigo. He found that Ichigo also possessed hollow-like powers, but he also saw that Ichigo's powers were a bit different from his. Furthermore, Ichigo could not fully control his powers, leading Kugo to be wary of absorbing Ichigo's hollow in order to reawaken his own. His next plan formed when he learned of Sosuke Aizen and the arrancars. Their powers were much more similar to his, so he knew that Aizen could help him regain his missing hollow abilities.

For that reason, he and Tsukishima planned to ambush Urahara, force him to open the Garganta using Tsukishima's ability, and then meet with Sosuke Aizen. He had a feeling that Aizen would be willing to help him, considering they both wanted to destroy the Soul Society.

 _And if not, we can always force him,_ Kugo thought as he began heading towards the door.

Tsukishima stood up and followed, then turned around to wave goodbye. "We'll be back in a couple days… Hopefully."

The two then made their way down the building and towards the mostly-deserted streets of Karakura Town, Kugo with his hands in his jacket pockets and Tsukishima occupied with a book. It was late at night, so there weren't too many people out and about.

The pair walked for a few minutes before finally arriving at Urahara's shop. The lights in the tiny store were off, and a "CLOSED" sign hung on the door.

"You sure he's alone?" Ginjo asked.

Tsukishima nodded. "Last I checked."

The two then tried to push open the door, but it was locked. Ginjo sighed before knocking on the wooden door. A few seconds later, Urahara opened the door with a confused look on his face. The man seemed to have just gotten out of bed.

"Sorry, we're closed," Urahara said with a yawn. "Please come back tomorrow."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Tsukishima kicked in the door and stabbed at Urahara with his bookmark. The bookmark transformed into a sword with a burst of green energy, and the shopkeeper barely managed to jump out of the way.

 _Is that… Fullbring?_ Urahara wondered as he dodged another swipe.

Ginjo then swung at Urahara with a huge sword. Urahara ducked, and if he had been wearing his hat, it would definitely have been cut in two.

"Hado Number Thirty-Three: Sokatsui!"

Urahara sent a blast of blue energy towards Ginjo, who blocked it with his large blade. The shopkeeper cursed. _If only I had Benihime with me…_

As Ginjo's sword came cutting down towards him again, Urahara leapt backwards. However, he completely forgot about the second enemy. Tsukishima stood behind him, his long sword raised. Urahara's reflexes allowed him to dodge Tsukishima's strike as well, but the combination of attacks threw him off and the sword managed to nick him in the leg. He flash-stepped to the opposite corner of the room, panting.

 _At least it's only a minor injury… Wait, why do I feel no pain?_ Urahara looked down at his thigh and saw no wound; even the fabric on his pants was still intact.

The blond shopkeeper then fell to the ground as his head began to ache. He groaned as he fought the pain off, then looked up to see a hand reaching out to him.

"You don't look so good, Kisuke," Tsukishima said with a smile.

Urahara's eyes flashed in surprise before he smiled and took the tall man's hand.

"Tsukishima! What are you doing here?" Urahara greeted, completely oblivious to the fact that the man had just attacked him.

"I need your help, actually," Tsukishima replied. He then gestured to the other man in the room, who by now had reverted his sword to his cross necklace. "And this is my friend, Kugo Ginjo."

Kugo smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Urahara gave him a nod. "Nice to meet you. Anyway, what can I help you with?"

Tsukishima rubbed the back of his head. "We're looking for a way into Hueco Mundo."

That took Urahara aback. "What for?"

"We need to meet with Sosuke Aizen," Ginjo answered. "There's something we need to ask him."

"Aizen?" Urahara repeated, dumbfounded. "You guys can't just go and talk to Aizen! That's ridiculous!"

Tsukishima put a calming hand on Urahara's shoulder. "Kisuke. When have I ever gotten myself into something I couldn't handle?"

Urahara sighed. "Fine. If you're sure about this, follow me down."

The trio then headed down a pair of hidden stairs into Urahara's underground training ground. Tsukishima and Kugo watched with fascination as Urahara began reciting a long incantation. At the end of the strange kido, a large, black portal appeared.

"Don't take Aizen lightly," Urahara warned. "His zanpakuto has the ability to cast illusions, and his army of arrancars is going to be difficult to get past."

Tsukishima gave him a salute as he and Ginjo headed into the portal. "Don't worry about us. We'll be just fine."

"Good luck," Urahara called out as the two disappeared into the Garganta.

He sighed again as the portal closed up. "That Tsukishima. Always doing crazy things."


End file.
